North Carolina residents who are thinking about filing for divorce in January might have a lot of company. January is nicknamed “divorce month” by some legal professionals due to the sheer number of divorce cases that begin in the New Year. The same seasonal pattern of divorce is seen across the country according to a 2016 University of Washington study.
When January rolls around, people are done with their holiday shopping, party planning and family reunions. An impending divorce that might have been delayed during holiday celebrations is now on the table. Another reason divorces may happen in January is that couples with children don’t want to break the news to their kids during the holidays.
Research from the UW study showed that January’s reputation is not just a rumor, and there is data to prove that the number of divorce filings increases in January. Even if the paperwork is not filed, however, divorce seems to be on people’s minds during the first month of the year: Data from Google Trends shows that Jan. 6-12 is the peak for “divorce” searches on the internet. On Pinterest, searches for “divorce party” go up by around 21% from December to January.
A person who is going through a divorce or thinking about filing for divorce may want to check out the Piedmont Triad divorce blog to learn more about their rights. If a divorcing spouse believes that their ex is hiding property or attempting to deny them child custody rights, they may want to get assistance with their case from an attorney. An experienced family law attorney may explain an individual’s rights and offer guidance throughout the process.