“Divorce Day” is upon us.
Well, not exactly but Divorce Day is a legitimate calendar day in the United Kingdom where the first working Monday in January following the holiday is designated as Divorce Day.
The reasoning?
According to an article published in the U.S. News & World Report: The “London-based divorce support service Amicable reports that more than 40,500 people in the U.K. are expected to search ‘divorce’ online in January – a rate that is nearly 25 percent higher than the usual traffic generated by the term.”
Amicable founder Kate Daly did qualify that report by stating that the sensation really is “more of a ‘divorce month’ than a divorce day, as people find private time at different points in their post-holiday schedules.”
The data backs up Daly’s claim. Divorce rates increased 5.8 percent between 2015 and 2016 in England and Wales according to the Office for National Statistics.
The United States Can Relate to Divorce Day
While there is no set and defined “Divorce Day” in the U.S., there has long been a prevailing belief by many that seasonal divorce spikes do indeed occur.
This myth was validated to a degree by researchers at the University of Washington, who unveiled a 2016 study at the American Sociological Association’s annual meeting which revealed that seasonal divorce spikes exist in the months of March and August – “the periods following the winter and summer holidays.”
The study produced by sociology professor Julie Brines and then doctoral candidate Brian Serafini is believed to be the “first quantitative evidence of a seasonal, biannual pattern of filings for divorce.” It took place from 2001 through 2015 and documented every divorce filing in Washington state during those 15 years.
Why Divorce Rates Spike During Certain Times
There likely are many contributing factors that contribute to an increase in divorce filings during certain time frames. As Brines and Serafini concluded in their research: “troubled couples may see the holidays as a time to mend relationships and start anew: We’ll have a happy Christmas together as a family or take the kids for a nice camping trip, the thinking goes, and things will be better.” However, when things fail to improve, the foundation has been laid for action to take place which often comes in the form of a divorce or separation.
Fry & Elder partner and experienced divorce attorney M. Shane Henry believes action can take place during any time of the year, but said he is not surprised that evidence indicates that seasonal divorce is in fact a legitimate phenomenon.
“The holidays are often a stressful time for many couples,” Henry said. “That time period can often serve as the catalyst for someone to take action and remove themselves from an unsatisfying or toxic relationship.”
Experience the Fry & Elder Difference
While Fry & Elder and its team of attorneys hopes everyone enjoyed the holiday season, if you or someone close to you has decided to take action and remove themselves from an unsavory relationship, we encourage you to set up a consultation with a proven and experienced divorce attorney.
Fry & Elder has been named to the acclaimed U.S. News & World Report’s Best Law Firms List each of the past five years and includes the following lineup of attorneys:
- Two 2018 Best Lawyers® Selections
- One of only 19 attorneys in the state to be a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers
- Best Lawyers® Lawyer of the Year for Family Law in Tulsa 2016
- The 2016 Oklahoma Family Law Attorney of the Yearby the Oklahoma Bar Association Family Law Section
- Five attorneys recognized by Super Lawyers®
- Four attorneys AV® Preeminent Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell®
- Three of the past four Oklahoma Bar Association Family Law Section Chairs
- A Cherokee Nation District Court Judge
- The 2017 OBA Earl Sneed Award Recipients
Contact Fry & Elder Tulsa or Fry & Elder Oklahoma City today to set up a personal consultation with an accomplished Tulsa divorce attorney.