Why Do Divorce Filings Increase After the Holidays?

    HACKENSACK, NJ, April 23, 2022 /24-7PressRelease/ -- People say that divorce seems to follow an annual pattern, with an increased number of people getting the marital blues in January through March.

A University of Washington study indicates that divorce filings flood family courts beginning in January and reach their peak in March.

Unhappy spouses who are ready to move forward with a new life often give similar reasons they wait until after the holidays to call it quits.

1. They place the happiness of others ahead of their own needs.
Even though a spouse contemplating divorce may not want to spend the holidays with their marital partner, selflessly protecting the memories of children, parents, and in-laws puts seeing a divorce attorney on hold.

"It isn't surprising that spouses unhappy in their marriage put others' feelings first during what is a traditional family time," says attorney Carrie S. Schultz of MR. Men's Rights Divorce & Family Law of New Jersey by Schultz & Associates, LLC. "Nobody wants to feel like the 'bad guy' for ruining the holidays for their children or other family members. But one should consider that the entire family, especially your children, probably already see or at least feel the tension between the two of you. So if you think you are holding off to keep the peace, you may not ultimately accomplish that goal and, in fact, may be inadvertently doing more damage by pretending with everyone suspecting already that a separation or divorce is inevitable."

2. Coming together as a family during the fall and winter holidays revives special memories and feelings.

Although a spouse may have lost faith or interest in their partner, the echo of better times can still be felt. It's not uncommon for people to hold out hope that things will reverse course during special times. It's like being on vacation. But, you are on a vacation from your marital problems. Eventually, the vacation ends (or in this case the holiday ends), and the problems didn't go away and reality strikes back, sometimes worse than before.

When gift-giving, warm fires or get-togethers with loved ones do not rekindle love and trust, those who are ready to end a marriage may finally resolve to call a divorce attorney. The arrival of New Year's Day, new resolutions, and the desire to be happy and live a fulfilled life, along with another year in age, most often strengthens this resolve and people are ready and want to get on with the rest of their [better] life as soon as possible.

3. There could be financial reasons for waiting until January to file, such as tax consequences or other concerns.

This does not mean that a decision to divorce or not divorce should be solely driven by financial considerations. However, it is important not to ignore certain pragmatic issues that may benefit one or both spouses, and/or the entire family.

Although making the decision to divorce is often difficult, it can lead to an improved quality of life. If you have been considering exiting your marriage, an experienced divorce attorney can guide you through the process.

The firm was founded by Carrie S. Schultz, who is Certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Matrimonial Law Attorney; the firm provides experienced legal representation for divorce and related family law matters. The highly regarded law firm focuses on resolving complex problems for clients through transparent, caringly candid, responsive legal counsel.

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