Why the number of divorces tends to rise following holiday periods

New research has sought to shed light on why the divorce rate tends to increase at the beginning of a year.

The first working day in January is sometimes dubbed “Divorce Day” by the less sensitive sections of the press.

While this is a rather glib phrase, there is nonetheless credible evidence that the number of enquiries lodged with divorce solicitors at this time of year does indeed rise.

Indeed, the University of Washington, in America, conducted research last year which confirmed that there were indeed “seasonal” fluctuations in divorce rates.

Marissa Peer, a therapist and behaviour expert, said that holiday periods can often lead to more rows and exacerbate existing tensions. For a similar reason, there tends to be another spike in individuals filing for divorce following the summer break.

But she also cited other, more particular, reasons for why people are more likely to walk away from the relationship in January.

“People find the end of the year stressful,” said Marissa. “It fails to live up to their expectations and the beginning of a new year makes them believe that they must do something drastically different in order that their life should be different.”

If you need advice on the divorce process, please contact our head of Family Law Peter Martin.