Divorce filings tend to follow certain trends. While there are always outliers — most people don’t get divorced in December, for instance, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t couples who file for divorce right around Christmas — summer tends to see a significant spike in divorce filings as it draws to a close.
This spike begins in July. It then reaches a peak in August. Some of that carries over into September, but that’s when things start their general downward trend that does not really reverse course until after the winter holidays.
In the middle of June, that means we are quickly bearing down on the beginning of that upward trend. For those thinking about divorce, July and August could be the months where they decide to move forward with the proceedings.
Why does the end of summer see more divorce cases than the beginning? Some believe it has to do with summer vacations. Families with children may have been planning their vacations all year, and July is the most vacation-heavy month of the year. It could be that people wait to file for divorce until those trips wrap up, the new school year looms for the children and the adults start looking to the future. They may also want to get things going in the late summer and early fall so that they can avoid Thanksgiving and the other family-oriented holidays.
Are you thinking of filing for divorce this summer, as many people do? No matter when you decide to do so, it is critical that you understand exactly what legal steps you should take.