There’s nothing that absolutely predicts when you’ll get divorced or if you will, but the statistics do show that nearly half of all marriages end in divorce in the United States. Beyond that, statistics show that divorce is most common in a few specific months, one of which is January.
All of this works together to show that the odds that you’ll get divorced in January are higher than you may have realized. Why is this?
A fresh start in the wake of the holidays
The first reason that January is often shown to have high divorce rates is that it represents a fresh start. Maybe you made resolutions like trying to write a book or to lose weight. In the same spirit, many people decide to get a fresh start from their relationships. They want something new in the new year, and that begins with ending their old relationship.
Additionally, January follows the longest holiday season of the year, and these holidays are very family-centric. In a lot of cases, especially for couples who still have young children living at home with them, getting divorced in the fall or winter is just not that desirable. It doesn’t mean they don’t want the divorce, but just that the timing doesn’t feel right with the holiday season. But that all ends in January, so this is when a lot of couples will finally take a step that they may have been thinking about for months.
Do you know what options you have?
Whether you file for divorce or your spouse does, it is crucial that you understand all of the legal options you have and exactly what your rights are during a divorce. It can help to work with an experienced team that understands your position.