Each January, divorce rates tend to increase. More people file for divorce after the new year. The exact number varies from year to year, of course, especially as the overall divorce rate tends to decline across the decades. However, there is generally a notable decrease in divorce rates through November and December, followed by a sharp rise in January.
But why does this happen? Each case is unique, and there are many different potential reasons. Below are a few examples.
Avoiding the holidays
Often, couples want to get divorced but don’t want to do it during the holiday season. Maybe they have young children and still want Thanksgiving and Christmas to be a fun and exciting time for them. They put off the divorce until the holidays have concluded.
Hoping the holidays help
In some cases, couples have been experiencing a lot of marital stress, but they think the holiday season may bring them closer together. If that doesn’t happen, though, they may file for divorce when the holidays end. In many cases, the holidays just introduce more stress to their lives, which could be the catalyst for a divorce.
Getting a fresh start
Finally, the new year is commonly seen as a time for people to get a fresh start or make resolutions about how they want to change their lives. Someone who has been considering divorce may decide that January is the perfect time to take that step and move forward with the divorce proceedings.
If you do end up getting divorced this year, be sure you understand all of your legal rights when it comes to property division, child custody and much more.