People often refer to January as divorce month. It has a reputation that precedes it, claiming that divorce cases are going to spike and more couples are going to start the process in January than they would have in December or November.
It’s not the only spike that is seen. There’s also one in the fall, generally around when children go back to school. But why is it that the same sort of spike happens in January — and could you be more likely to get divorced as the new year begins?
Some people want a fresh start in the new year
In some cases, people just look at the new year as a fresh start, and they want to make a change. It can also be beneficial from a tax perspective to get divorced at the start of the year so that you don’t have to deal with filing taxes jointly the following year. Either way, they may have been thinking about divorce before, but the new year is the catalyst that makes them do it.
Some people are avoiding the holidays
Another reason to consider is simply that the holidays are a sentimental time. It’s meant to be fun and filled with family. Thanksgiving and Christmas, in particular, are known as family holidays. Children have time off from school and parents know that this is often a very special time for them. As a result, they may want to get divorced before the holidays, but they’ll wait until January so that they don’t have to add another layer of stress.
Either way, this means that your odds of getting divorced in January are higher, and you need to know what legal steps to take.
