Why Divorce Filings Spike in August: Insights from a New Divorce Study
For many of us, August signifies the end of the summer, back to school, and back to our usual routines. To many couples, however, August’s arrival brings with it a trip to a divorce attorney. A new study reveals that divorce filings spike as summer departs and autumn arrives.
The study was conducted by the University of Washington. The research team studied the number of divorce filings between the years 2001 through 2015 in the state of Washington. What the found was in two months of the year – March and August – the number of filings significantly increased and then dropped again in the months following.
The results of the plotted data revealed that divorce filings drop during traditional family holiday and vacation times, but spike in the months following those times. According to the data the study used, the number of divorce filings was at the lowest during November and December, with that spike in March. This is the time period of winter holidays, as well as Valentine’s Day. Divorce filings drop again in the month of April and stay in the lower numbers as the summer months begin to arrive. The month of July is traditionally the most popular month for family vacations. In August, the filings peak again.
The pattern was consistent during the entire 14 years of divorce filings the study examined, regardless of what the country’s economic climate was at the time.
The authors of the study surmise that the reason for the ups and downs in the data is because many people feel “optimistic” during times of vacations and holidays, but once those events have come and gone, and spouses have spent a lot more time together than they usually do, whatever problems or issues between the couple suddenly become more magnified. Or the realization kicks in that the relationship is just too broken to repair. For spouses who have already decided to leave the marriage, holding off until after the holidays or before children start school to file is also a common consideration.
If you have decided to end your marriage, there are many issues which may need to be decided, such as child custody and property division. Contact an experienced DuPage County divorce attorney for assistance. Call Mulyk Laho Law, LLC today at (630) 852-1100 for a free consultation.
Sources:
http://www.washington.edu/news/2016/08/21/is-divorce-seasonal-uw-research-shows-biannual-spike-in-divorce-filings/
http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/24/health/peak-divorce-times-study-trnd/
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-08-22/summer-vacations-can-lead-to-divorce