It seems everything has a label these days: generations, personality types and stages of life. There’s also tax season, flu season, pumpkin spice season and holiday season, and now we have divorce season.
According to several online sources, the divorce season kicks off in January and usually ends in April. Is “divorce month” really a thing, or is it just another urban legend?
New year, new me?
We associate January 1 with a fresh start. Our good intentions are wrapped up in a package called “resolutions,” and it’s time to take care of everything that we’ve put off leading up to and through the holidays.
For some people, this includes ending an unsatisfactory marriage. During the first week in January, there is a peak in Google searches for “divorce.” The first working Monday in January also brings a flurry of divorce attorney searches.
But the “new year, new me” phenomenon isn’t the only reason why people start researching divorce in January. For many already rocky marriages, the holidays can exacerbate the tension. Financial pressures, extended time with family and the strain of trying to put on a happy front can finally push the marriage to the breaking point.
Some couples choose to wait until the new year for financial reasons. Filing jointly provides more tax breaks, allowing both parties a full year to prepare for the different filing status.
While there is an uptick in divorce filings in January, other months also see more filings than the rest of the year. Some studies suggest that March and August have the highest rates of divorces.
The truth is that choosing to divorce is deeply personal and can’t be tied to any one month or season. If you’re ready to explore your options, several resources are available.
