The Unhappiest (or Happiest, for Some) Month of the Year – January is National Divorce Month (Or Is It?)
I love a good national holiday. Who doesn’t? But even though I am a divorce attorney, National Divorce Month is not particularly high on my list of celebratory events.
January has been dubbed Divorce Month by family lawyers because in December, when everyone is wrapped up in the holidays and spending time with family and friends, many people rightly do not want to proceed with a separation or divorce. These actions would ruin the holidays for all parties involved and leave sad memories and associations long after the pain has subsided. Typically, couples will save marital changes until the start of a new year.
Of course, Divorce Month might be something of a myth. Fox News reported back in 2015 that divorce filings consistently peak during March and August. These trends are fascinating anecdotally, but February and September might also be strong candidates. After Valentine’s Day, when things don’t go so well, and maybe September, once the summer is over and the kids are going back to school, are times when married couples take stock of their relationship and consider whether or not to seek a divorce. Frankly, I want to validate if divorce filings statistically increase in these months for the whole country—consistent with my empirical observations.
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