Why do divorces increase at the beginning of the year?

In the time between January and March, there is a 33% increase in divorce filings, according to the University of Washington. Jodi Terzich and Shannon Ort from the law offices of Terzich and Ort join us to share some of the things that factor into that increase.

Common reasons for divorce early in the year:

1. The holidays
   • People don’t want to go through a divorce during the holidays
   • Married couples, especially those with children, tend to stick it out through the holidays
   • Couples occasionally want to have one last holiday season before the split
2. Taxes
   • The couple finishes off the year with joint tax filings, which allows for an entire year to resolve before next tax season
3. Year-end retirement, investment and paystub data is available
   • This makes the exchange of current information more simple
4. New year, new beginnings
   • People want to make changes and start fresh for the new year
5. Convenient timing
   • The timing gives time to use summer breaks to help transition before school starts, making adjustments to parenting time schedules easier