Within the family court system, people may talk about divorce season or the period of the year when the number of divorces seems to peak. There is a prevailing thought that this occurs after the new year in January.
According to The New York Times, divorce does follow seasonal patterns, and rates of filings do go up in the first month of the year.
Reasons behind seasonality
One of the main reasons why January is a popular time for divorce is that people had put off doing it until after the holidays. Most people do not want to cause the upheaval within their families during the holiday season in November and December, so they hold off until after the period is over.
Also, the new year is all about change, and some people use this as a sign to leave their relationship. They feel it is finally a good time to end the bad relationship they are in. Plus, some people just want to start off the new year with a big move to help them live happier and sometimes that means a divorce.
Other thoughts
Some professionals in the legal field think that while people may begin working towards a divorce in January, the actual peak is in March. They say people do their research in the first couple of months, and by March, they are ready to file.
There is also a peak in August or September. Some people will hold off through the busy summer months and once the calendar hits fall, they want to get the divorce over prior to the holidays.
So, while there are peaks for divorce throughout the year, there isn’t really a divorce season. If anything, there are two divorce seasons, one at the first of the year and one in late summer or early fall.