While spring may be several months away in Colorado, January still brings thoughts of new starts and rejuvenation because it is the beginning of a new year. For many, though, that new start means the end of a marriage.
Traditionally, divorce occurs more often in January than in any other month. There are many reasons why this is the case. For example, couples often do not want to break up over the holidays. Moreover, those same holidays may put a severe stress on the relationship, what with the necessity of buying presents and spending time with extended family.
Aside from the obvious reason of not wanting to ruin holidays for the kids, or even each other, a more practical reason to wait to divorce until after the holidays are over is that doing so could make the divorce more amiable. Starting a divorce when tensions are already running high can turn the divorce into a vicious and angry dispute and thus make it more lengthy and costly.
People also tend to get bonuses around Christmas and the end of the year, making them more financially capable of affording divorce.
Also, some may wait until after the first of the year for tax reasons. If a couple is married at the beginning of the year, they may file taxes jointly come April. In reality, though, chances are that any couple starting divorce earlier during the holiday season will still be officially married by Jan. 1, and therefore still eligible to file taxes jointly.
In any case, it is extremely helpful to be prepared for divorce before filing. Knowing things like monthly expenditures, assets, bills and outstanding debts can make the divorce go much easier once it begins.
Source: My Fox Philly, “January known as ‘divorce month’,” Diane Ryan, Jan 7, 2013