Some things in life are seasonal – fall foliage, Stanley Cup playoffs, allergies, and … divorces?
The reality is that couples separate when circumstances lead to the separation, and it is not fair to say that there is any particular time of year for it. Events can force the timing of a marital breakup at any point in the calendar year.
That said, family law attorneys at least anecdotally believe there are identifiable trends as to when we see upswings in client calls, perhaps suggesting a modest correlation among divorce consultations and calendar events. Here are some of the rough approximations we see.
+ January is often a busy month. Couples have survived the Thanksgiving and Winter break periods, and they may feel the timing is opportune. While calling divorce a “New Year’s Resolution” would be flippant, it is true that some people use the first of a year as a time to evaluate their lives and their goals, sometimes leading to a re-evaluation of life goals.
+ February is a strange month, because Valentine’s Day is a prime time that cheating spouses get caught.
+ June is another month in which upticks in contacts occur, as people have held their concerns in check to allow the kids to finish another year of school, but the thought of suppressing their discontent for an entire summer may be overwhelming.
+ Perhaps surprisingly, Late September through early November are among the busiest months. One could speculate that once the kids are in school and the holiday season is approaching, individuals wish to have their own needs addressed.
But as stated above, the reality is that people seek the advice of family law attorneys year round, and no hard data support the idea of a “divorce season.”
One thing that IS true is that because of the tax laws relating to filing status of single versus married, there can be financial reasons for a person to want a divorce concluded prior to the end of a particular tax year. Even uncontested divorces take a time to process through the court system; for example, each year the Fairfax County Circuit Court announces an early December deadline after which it will not assure parties that their divorces can be granted before year end.
The upshot of all of this is that you should seek legal advice from a family law attorney when you need it, regardless of the time of year. Contact us today and learn how our experienced attorney’s can provide legal advice for family or divorce law.
