If you have ever spoken with a divorce attorney before, the chances are good that he or she has mentioned January is divorce month. It is so-called because divorces seem to peak at this time of the year.
Reader’s Digest explains that there are a few good reasons why January has the reputation for being the month with the most divorce filings.
Avoiding tax headaches
By waiting under January, you can avoid tax issues. You get a clean slate in a new tax year that will be much easier to handle than a year in which you were together for most of the months except a few at the end.
Assessing oneself
January and the new year is a time of self-reflection. You probably have made resolutions to better yourself and improve your life on New Year’s before. Couples who are in a marriage and not happy with it may decide that a divorce is what they need to live happier and better themselves.
Waiting for the holidays
The holidays are a stressful time of year, but they are also very family-oriented. Many people do not want to start a divorce during or before the holiday season. People do not want to put their children through that at this time of year. They may even think that a good holiday could help the marriage, so they wait. Some people simply want to have one last holiday as a family.
It is also common for people to push off the divorce because it is one more stressful thing they do not want to deal with. The holidays cannot wait, but the divorce can. By the time January comes around and the holiday season is over, couples realize that the marriage is over and now makes a good time to file for divorce.