There is often a surge in divorce enquiries in January and perhaps more surprisingly, in August. Both months follow busy holiday seasons where families spend a lot more time together for special events and activities.
This, combined with financial pressures and the stresses of caring for children on a full-time capacity, may lead to couples deciding to part ways.
For some couples, they may have wanted to separate for some time but would prefer to wait until big holidays and events, which have been planned for a long time are out the way.
Sarah Hay, a family law solicitor at Watermans Legal, is predicting a surge in divorce inquiries this summer, particularly when the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions ease further.
She said: “There are a number of reasons why couples may choose to go ahead and seek advice about getting a divorce after the summer holidays have passed.
“Many married couples may decide to separate after spending long periods of time together, such as the summer holidays when they go abroad together or after Christmas.
“People may have had more time to reflect on their relationships and may have looked at a family holiday as a means of either ‘making or breaking’ their marriage. Often this brings issues to the surface which have been brewing for some time, and time away from the normal routine provides some perspective.”
“As they return to the normal everyday routine after the summer holidays, and similarly when the lockdown restrictions ease further, they often decide that enough is enough and this gives them the impetuous to proceed with getting advice about divorce or separation, or how to deal with the former family home which has been empty for some time following a separation.”
Marital problems can also be overshadowed by the routine of everyday life, especially when there’s children involved. Couples may also decide to wait until the end of the school year so not to disrupt the lives of their children.
We have experienced this before, where a client has come to us for advice about separation and divorce after having been on a family holiday, where the relationship with his wife had become particularly frayed. No sooner had the client returned from holiday, than he was served with court papers due to his wife taking advice and seeking a divorce.
It is important to seek legal advice to know your rights and options when you make the decision to bring a relationship to an end. Contact us to discuss matters further.