No, January is not an official month set aside to celebrate divorce, but that doesn’t stop legal experts from referring to it as Divorce Month.
The reasoning is simple. The amount of divorce filings tends to jump up significantly in January. It’s one of the most common months to see people call off their marriages.
Why January? Every couple has their own reasons. No two marriages are the same, and that means the reason for a divorce differ for every couple.
That said, one potential reason is an aversion to breaking up over the holidays. With Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day all coming in a row, families have two months that are focused on celebrating and spending time with one another.
People often don’t want to ruin that holiday season, especially if they have kids. They may know they’re going to get divorced on December 1st, but they’ll put off the official filing until the new year begins. That way, they still get to enjoy their time with the kids and extended family before making any big changes.
Another reason is that the new year itself is often associated with getting a fresh start. People vow that they’re going to lose weight, pursue new careers and kick bad habits. They want to focus on creating the ideal life and chasing their goals. That same sentiment about wanting a fresh start could be applied to a failing marriage, giving them the courage to finally go through with it.
Are you going to be splitting up this year? Make sure you fully understand all of your legal rights and the official steps you need to take before filing for divorce.
Source: CNBC, “Breaking up is hard to do: Protecting assets in divorce,” Kelli B. Grant, accessed Jan. 05, 2018