Why is the Festive Period the busiest time for Family Solicitors?

Trainee Solicitor, Felicity Hart sheds some light onto what is known as one of the busiest times for Family Solicitors... The Festive Season.

The New Year is full of resolutions and new starts in life; many people begin to think about taking steps towards their idyllic future, and for many, that means initiating divorce proceedings.

The first week of the new year is one of the busiest periods for initiating Divorce proceedings, so much so that the first working day in January has been labelled as ‘Divorce Day’.

Many unhappy couples’ resort to specialist Solicitors after being unable to resolve their differences over the Festive season.

The Christmas period can test many relationships and unfortunately, some do not make it through. Records show that 13 people applied for a divorce online on Christmas Day alone last year.

So why does the Christmas period test so many relationships?

Financial Pressures

As we all know December is an extremely expensive month, especially if you have children. For most this means that whilst income remains as usual, that there is a huge increase in outgoing money which is spent on gifts, decorations and social events.

Financial strain can put great pressure on persons within a marriage and expose subliminal concerns which in turn lead to the relationships end.

Children

Making the decision to separate is one that takes a lot of time to consider. It is often the case that a couple are aware that their relationship is no longer working but cannot fully part for the sake of their children.

Christmas is full of traditions; one of which is spending quality time with your family. Many believe by choosing to separate during this time, that it would instigate emotional hardships borne by their children.

Alcohol

The consumption of alcohol increases by 40% during the festive period (National Statistics office) and this can potentially lead to hostile behaviour therefore amounting to frequent arguing. In extreme cases this behaviour can develop into domestic violence. Police statistics for 2018 illustrated that incidents of domestic violence are higher during Christmas than any other time of the year.

Spending Time Together

For a majority of families, the Christmas period sees a rise in the amount of time spent with not only immediate, but with extended family members. This can on occasion lead to a spouse feeling excluded or even reduce the quality time left for a couple to enjoy solely.

Alternatively, due to the changes in working hours, spouses can often spend more time together than they are used to. Some may conclude that this additional time together has led to the realisation that they are unhappy with their relationship.

Should you need advice on any divorce matter, our team  are on hand to help. They can provide you with a plan of action and assist with any queries you may have.
 

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