It is that time of year again … for divorce. Known as “divorce month,” January sees a surge in divorce filings. Additionally, the first working Monday of the New Year has been dubbed the most popular day of the year to begin divorce proceedings.
In an article on Yahoo! News, James McLaren, president of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, stated, “The number of filings is one-third more than normal. That begins in January and probably goes into early March.” There are several reasons this may be the case.
Most couples do not want to begin a painful divorce process during the holidays, and many hope to have one final holiday as an intact family. During the holiday season, people also have less time to deal with emotional or complicated legal issues, and the courts are closed for one week of the month.
It is not all gloom and doom, however. This same period which sees an increase in divorces also sees an increase in online traffic among the country’s largest dating sites. Match.com, for example, sees a 28 percent increase in membership registrations between December and February—and it seems to work. According to US News and World Report, in 2013, four in 10 new marriages involved at least one person who had been previously married. Hence, even if you begin your year with a divorce, you could very well be remarried before the next one.
If you have waited to file for divorce in the new year and are now ready to move forward, or are planning a wedding and are interested in discussing prenuptial options, the most important step is to seek legal counsel. At Mulyk Laho Law, LLC, our experienced DuPage County family law attorneys are available to help you and will look out for your best interests. Call 630-852-1100 today to schedule an appointment.