January has become known as ‘divorce month’

The holiday season is in full swing, but many Texas couples may be focused more on the end of their marriages than parties and holiday shopping. Google Trends has found that the topic of divorce peaks the week of January 6 through 12, right after the holiday season ends, and Pinterest saw a 21 percent rise in searches for ‘divorce party’ from December to January in 2017, 2018, and 2019.

In fact, January has now become known as ‘Divorce Month’ due to the increase in divorce filings during this time. However, divorces and annulments decreased eight percent from 2007 to 2017, and fewer people are getting married in general.

What brings on this increase in divorces? Some experts believe couples initiate divorces in January so they can start the new year with a clean slate. However, many states have waiting periods to give spouses time to make sure that divorce is really what they want. In Texas, there is a 60-day mandatory waiting period applied to most cases. So, if a Texas couple begins the divorce process in January, the divorce may be finalized as early as March or April, giving them the rest of the year to adjust to their new life.

Another reason couples wait until January to start the divorce process is to give their family one last holiday all together. This can be especially important to couples with young children.

If you have decided to get a divorce, experts say that you and your soon-to-be ex can make the process easier on yourselves by doing research before filing. You can also discuss your case with a divorce attorney in your area to get started on the right foot.