• 20
  • January
    2012

Although January's title as "Divorce Month" has always been bandied about as an occupational joke among divorce attorneys, new statistics are suggesting there's some validity to the title.

According to statistics compiled and released by eDivorcePapers.com, January leads all months of the year in terms of the number of divorces filed.

One attorney said that the influx of new divorce filings in January put a strain on the lawyers handling the cases, adding so much of a workload that "some attorneys take the last two weeks of the year off to get ready for the rush."

According to the Legal Services Commission, a specific day for the greatest number of filings can also be identified: the Monday of the week that kids return to school after their winter break.

One divorce expert, who operates a divorce consulting company and a website providing information, said her website sees a big bump in hits the day after Christmas. However, she said because many attorneys take the holidays off, these spouses typically have to wait until the end of the holidays before starting the divorce process.

The exact reasons for this trend are unknown, but one prevailing theory is that discontented spouses want to have one last happy holiday before splitting up the family. The end of the year is also a time when people reflect on their lives and make goals for the future, and it could result in some of them giving themselves ultimatums to follow through with a dissolution of marriage.

In addition, a person's marital status when filing taxes is based on their marital status on December 31. Accordingly, delaying a filing into the new year can potentially save individuals money.

What are your thoughts on these findings?

Stay tuned for more from our Tarrant County divorce blog ...

If you would like to learn more about divorce or post-divorce issues, you should consider speaking with an experienced attorney.

The following post is provided for informational purposes only and is not to be construed as legal advice.

Source:

The Huffington Post, "January: More divorces than any other month?" Jan. 4, 2012