Divorce filings heat up for New Year
NEW YORK – For many couples, the new year inspires the need to begin a new life – by filing for divorce.
January, according to divorce attorneys, is one of the biggest divorce-filing months.
“It’s the month for people who deferred things over the holidays – either because they don’t want to spoil the family’s celebrations, or because they feel they will be able to work things out over the holidays,” says divorce attorney Jay S. Baum.
But after the new year, the same marital problems are still there – and holiday bills become due, which also exacerbates existing tensions.
“The most popular month for people to call a divorce lawyer to start the process of separating or divorcing is definitely the month of January,” says Manhattan-based divorce attorney Andrea Vacca.
“I think it’s caused by a combination of people waiting to get through the holidays without causing too much upset for their families, as well as making New Year’s resolutions for themselves that they will not spend another year in a bad marriage,” Vacca says.
Lawyer James Stewart, whose articles on divorce have appeared in The Times of London, notes that Christmas often highlights the flaws in a relationship.
“Extra time together can force problems that already exist in the relationship to come to a head,” Stewart says.
In England, Jan. 7 is known as “D-Day” or “Divorce Day,” as more divorces are expected to be filed on that date than any other day of the year.
However, according to DivorcesYourself.com, an Internet company based in Olympia, January ranks second as the month when most divorces are filed, while June is No. 1.
“In our experience, people seem to decide to act upon a decision to divorce more frequently in June, after school lets out,” says a DivorcesYourself.com spokesman. “We believe that many couples with children want to get through the current school year before undertaking the major life changes associated with divorce. Acting in June affords parents and children the summer months to adjust to new life circumstances.”
New York divorce attorney Anne-Louise DePalo says it’s been her experience that New Year’s resolutions cause a bounce in divorce filings.
But while January has a higher than average number of filings, “the highest number occurs in the summer months, especially in July, perhaps because children are out of school and summer is a time people usually slow down and have a chance to think, as well as having more time to follow through,” DePalo says.