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Why do many couples divorce in the beginning of the year?

On Behalf of | Dec 3, 2017 | blog |

Divorce has been a way of American life for decades now. There has been heavy research in numerous areas of the topic, and a report from The Atlantic found that many couples file for divorce around the beginning of the year, especially around Valentine’s Day.

Naturally, attorneys see couples filing for divorce all year round, but there seems to be a particular influx of divorce filings in January and February. Some couples come to the realization the marriage simply no longer works, but there is no present danger that necessitates filing for divorce immediately. Therefore, they decide to wait. Since it is almost the end of 2017, it is worth it to look into why some couples choose to delay filing. Naturally, if anyone is in a marriage that is actively detrimental, they should seek help right away.

Avoiding the holidays

From Thanksgiving until New Year’s, there are numerous holidays people want to spend together with family. Couples may not want to make things awkward at the next family gathering by dropping the bombshell announcement of a divorce. This is especially the case for couples with children. Therefore, couples go through the motions until they have a break period at the end of the year to go through the legal process of divorce.

Reflecting on the future

For many people, the end of the year brings a time of reflection. Some married couples go on big trips, and for spouses who contemplate divorce, this trip is a make-or-break situation. Spouses may try to reconcile differences during a vacation, and if the marriage cannot work during a time when people should be happy, then it probably will not work any other time of year.

At the end of the day, there is no “good” time to divorce. Spouses should file whenever they feel comfortable and when they believe they will be able to psychologically handle the stresses that come with the process.