After Christmas and New Year’s Day, the odds of divorce go up. This is divorce season, and many couples opt to end their marriages as the new year begins.
How big is the change? Some have said that they see about 33% more divorce filings after the holidays. It is a spike that is so clear and consistent that they anticipate it every year.
Why does it happen like this? Some couples put their hope in the holidays. They had been struggling to keep their relationship going. They hoped that the “magic of the holidays” would spark something and make them feel like they used to feel.
For some, it works. They don’t get divorced. For others, there is no spark, and they move forward to end it.
In other cases, especially if children are involved, couples just don’t want to break up during the holidays. If someone decides in October that they want a divorce, for instance, they’re looking at a string of Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Their children have time off from school. It’s supposed to be fun and festive, and they just don’t want to ruin it. They put off the divorce until the drab days of winter. With the holidays behind them, they decide it’s time to actually end the relationship.
No matter why it happens, it’s clear that these days are coming. More people will get divorced in the coming weeks. Those who do absolutely need to know what rights they have and what legal steps they need to take moving forward.
