School’s in session, and so is the divorce season

Anyone who has kids or is consistently on social media knows it: the school year is beginning. Parents are packing their kids’ school bags and lunches. We are all seeing the Facebook pictures of kids’ first days of school.

It is a picture-worthy and sometimes emotional time of year. And apparently, according to research, it is a time of year when people tend to file for divorce. Research into divorce filings suggests that the highest number of divorces begin in March and August. But why, theoretically, would August have resulted in a higher rate of divorce filings?

Well, think about all of those back-to-school moments you are seeing online. See how the kids are packed up and ready to hop back onto the school saddle? The summer holiday is over, and with kids back in school, the grown-ups might have more time to devote to a family law process.

The researchers also suggest that with the end of summer, also comes the end of some people’s hopes for an improved marriage. Parties might have wanted to see if the fun of summer would add some pep back into their marriages. Parents also might not have wanted to make their kids’ summers stressful with a divorce.

These same theories could ring true for the other popular divorce month of March. The winter holidays are over, and spring brings with it the sense of new beginnings. If a marriage was still rocky during Christmas, New Year’s and Valentine’s Day, couples might see divorce as the realistic resolution once spring comes.

No matter what time of year someone chooses to end their marriage, their goals are likely the same. They probably want to find a way to be happier. If kids are involved, they probably want to protect the children’s best interests. If money is involved (and it almost always is), they probably want to feel secure about their post-divorce financial future.

Maybe it is hope that has held you back from choosing to divorce. Maybe it has been fear. Maybe now you are afraid about what divorce will mean for you and your family. Talking to an experienced family law attorney could help calm your fears and renew hope that a happier time is before you.