A new year has arrived, and most people begin making resolutions. Is one promise to the self to get a divorce?
Research shows that January does see an uptick in internet searches for divorce attorneys and information about divorce, and family law firms do report an uptick in business in January.
But people do not just wake up after a New Year’s Eve hangover and decide to end a marriage.
Typically, the reasons for seeking out a divorce lawyer in January flows from two different sources – family and finances.
Much of the fall and early winter is spent on family-centered activities, from getting the kids situated in a new school year and quickly moving into major holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas. Simmering tensions in troubled relationships usually get a great deal of fuel during these holiday times as each spouse huddles with relatives, some getting a nudge to finally end the marriage, and some looking at the in-laws and deciding they cannot take hanging out with them anymore.
It is not a sudden explosion, but a slow boil, the last straw.
At the same time, a new year means closing the books on the last fiscal year, and for many families, that can bring pain. Financial pressures create relationship pressures. Perhaps a spouse just wants to move on in a different direction professionally. Perhaps a spouse discovers something they did not know in an end-of-year bank statement.
So, just as June is not the only month for marriage, January is not the only month for divorce.
But because a great deal of people do reevaluate the state of their marriage in January, it is important to reiterate that no one should rush into divorce. Emotion as a driver for divorce usually leads to rash and not well-reasoned decisions. Of course, any marriage involves the deepest of emotional attachments, but spouses will regret a quick jump to divorce because of a bad holiday experience just as sure as they will regret staying too long in a bad marriage. A proper combination of sentiment and reflection leads to the best types of decisions relating to relationships.
It may be advantageous to seek out a lawyer in January in a troubled marriage if only to have a neutral and experienced voice explain the process and help walk you through why you may have reached the point of ending a marriage. It may also help to have some counseling sessions to see if divorce makes sense from a subjective, personal point of view.
If you have questions about divorce, contact us – we can help.