Research shows one in four couples hold off initiating divorce proceedings until after Christmas.

Furious rows over Christmas dinner are not the real reason behind a reported spike in couples enquiring about divorce in January, new research suggests.

Some Law firms claim to see an annual rush of enquiries about divorce on the first full working day in January – nicknamed “divorce day” – although other firms dispute the phenomenon.

The apparent trend is widely attributed to a combination of couples who have already drifted apart being forced to spend extended periods of time together in proximity over the festive period and cases of affairs coming to light through festive calls and text messages.

Researchers interviewed 500 divorcees:-

• A quarter of those surveyed said that their separation was already planned but that they had timed taking the first steps until after Christmas.
• Men were more likely than women to hold off until after a family occasion, with 27 per cent saying that this was the case, compared to 23 per cent of women.
• Of those who said they had held off taking steps towards divorce, a third said specifically that they wanted to have one last Christmas as a family and just over one in 10 said they did not want to upset the Christmas of loved ones.
• A further one in 10 said they had held off initiating divorce proceedings because they did not want to spoil a child’s birthday.

The decision to separate is not taken lightly and couples have usually already considered divorcing for a number of months. They hold off announcing their plans until after the festive period, mainly to avoid upset among family members.

Many law firms expect to see three times as many inquiries about divorce during January than in the previous four months.

That said, official figures show divorce rates across the UK falling to their lowest level in 40 years. The growing acceptance of couples living together before getting married seems ultimately to have strengthened marriage.

Younger couples who marry now are more likely to stay together past seven year itch than their parents’ generation, suggesting ‘living in sin’ makes marriage stronger.

This has coincided with a recent rise in the number of couples choosing to tie the knot over the last few years – partially reversing the decades long trend of declining marriage and rising divorce. This has to be good news for the future.

If you need help in dealing with your decision to divorce get in touch.