Happy 2020! It’s a new year! In fact, it’s also a new decade, and people have been doing a lot of personal reflection and goal setting in the last few weeks. Social media is awash with people’s musings on how much has changed in the last few years, how much they have to be grateful for, and what they hope for the future.
The new year always rings in a desire for change…
But not all of the posts are that benign. Many people are realizing that more than anything, they need change. They need to get up, get out, and live the life that they feel they’re missing out on. And that certainly seems to apply to married couples. In particular – the married couples who wish they weren’t married anymore, or at least not to the person they’re currently married to.
January has always been a high-rate divorce month
Technically, this is nothing new. For a long time, the month of January has been “the divorce month”, and family law offices around the nation gear up for one of their busiest seasons as soon as the holidays are over. But why? What is it about the new year and the opportunity to pursue a fresh start that makes people want to walk away from their marriages? According to the experts, there are many reasons why there’s such a steep peak in the number of folks filing for divorce in January, but here are some of the more common reasons:
- They don’t want to ruin the holidays for their kids.
People set a lot of stock in tradition. Which means there are a lot of expectations surrounding the holiday season, and no one wants to be the bad guy that wrecks Christmas by announcing the fact that they’re leaving. So people who are considering divorce as the year draws to a close often wait for the holiday season to end before making their announcements to their spouse and kids.
- Christmas is expensive, but tax season is coming!
Divorce isn’t cheap. But then again, nor are the holidays. Between gifts and travel and entertaining and parties and shopping and time off work, it all adds up. Many people go into debt before Christmas, which makes it a particularly terrible time to file for divorce (from a financial standpoint.) But once January rolls around, tax returns become an imminent possibility. And with that sudden influx of cash, the cost of ending a marriage you aren’t happy in suddenly seems more viable.
- Maybe a little Christmas magic will save the relationship.
Another reason people sometimes postpone filing for divorce is that they hope the magic of Christmas (or the spirit of the holidays, or whatever you want to call the feel-good-family-pixie-dust that gets liberally sprinkled across the season in our minds) will save their marriages. It’s a last-ditch effort, based on the hope that all the goodwill and good cheer in the air will fix their relationship problems. Unfortunately, it’s never that easy. Life isn’t a Hallmark Christmas movie. So in the end, the fact that it doesn’t work becomes just one more disappointment.
Are you considering ending your marriage in 2020?
January still has several weeks to go before it’s over, but if you and your spouse have reached the end of the road, and you’ve been giving some serious thought to a fresh new start in 2020, our skilled family law attorneys can help. Divorce can be a stressful and emotionally painful time, so don’t go through it alone. Let our talented team of attorneys be your voice through this process, and help set you up for a successful future. Call 866 766 5245 to discuss your situation with an experienced divorce lawyer, and have all your questions answered. We’re always here to help.