Every divorcing couple has their own, personal reasons for pulling the plug on their marriage. Sometimes the impetus may be a huge event like the discovery of an extramarital relationship, and other times the spouses may have been seeing a therapist and working on their marriage for a long time only to decide that it is no longer working. According to a new study, it's possible that the calendar may also play a role in deciding its time to move forward with a divorce.
The study, which looked at patterns of divorce filings over a 14-year period in Washington State, found that divorce filings peaked in the months of March and August. These Are The Times Of Year You're Most Likely To Get Divorced, by Agata Blaszczak-Boxe, huffingtonpost.com, August 24, 2016. One of the study's author's, associate sociology profession Julie Brines, speculates that "divorce filings may be driven by a 'domestic ritual' calendar governing family behavior." Is divorce seasonal? Study shows biannual spike in divorce filings, American Sociological Association, August 21, 2016. Brines believes that the results show that divorce may be considered inappropriate during the winter and summer holidays, when families are spending quality time together. Spouses may even use the time together to try and mend the relationship. However, when that doesn't happen, the results show that divorce follows shortly thereafter. The holiday time may even add stress to an otherwise healthy relationship, causing that couple to head down the path of divorce.
While waiting until after the holidays/summer seems to be the trend, it is not for everyone. It certainly makes sense that parents would want to give their children a great winter break or summer before starting the divorce process. However, if you and your spouse cannot get along at all or the thought of spending the holidays as one big happy family makes your stomach turn, do not hesitate to file for divorce whenever you feel the time is right. Your children may be upset to not spend the holidays as a whole family, but they will have more hurt in the long run if the holidays or summer are filled with stress and fighting.