Divorce Month: Why January Sees a Surge in Divorces

Dallas Divorce lawyer Jennifer Hargrave joined This Morning With Gordon Deal to discuss why January is often referred to as “divorce month.”

Key highlights include:

1. Timing and Holiday Stress:
   • Many couples hold off filing for divorce to get through the holiday season, a period often filled with stress and financial pressure.
   • Issues such as unresolved conflict may have been brewing since earlier in the year but resurface after the holidays, prompting couples to take action.
2. Increased Stress in Recent Years:
   • Factors like inflation, high living costs, and political divides contribute to heightened stress in households.
   • Jennifer emphasizes that unresolved conflict—not conflict itself—is the root cause of many divorces.
3. Communication Challenges:
   • Effective conflict resolution and communication skills are often lacking in relationships.
   • Discord over core values can amplify stress and lead to feelings of alienation within families.
4. Political Divides:
   • Political differences, especially when one partner’s beliefs shift significantly, have become a growing source of marital strain over the past five years.
   • These divides can leave individuals feeling alienated and unsupported in their relationships.
5. Financial Considerations:
   • Starting a divorce in January can have financial advantages, such as ensuring tax separation by the end of the year.
   • Timing divorce proceedings with annual bonuses or other financial planning, like budgeting and trip scheduling, is a common strategy.

Jennifer underscores the importance of planning ahead and understanding the factors that contribute to marital conflict and divorce. For those considering divorce, January is often a time to reassess and take the first steps toward resolution.

Transcript

Why January Is Divorce Month

Gordon: (0:00) Why do so many couples file for divorce in January?

Jennifer Hargrave:
I think all the pressure, the stress, and the financial strain can just break a lot of couples. I think a lot of people are just barely hanging on to get through the holidays. You may see it coming right by the time school starts back at the end of August or September. You may see that divorce is on its way, but it’s such a tricky time with the timing of it, so a lot of people wait to get past the holidays, which is not a bad thing.

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The Impact of Stress and Conflict

Gordon: (0:35) You brought up an interesting point. Is there more stress right now heading into the new year than there was even, say, a year ago, because of, say, high prices or inflation not really going away?

Jennifer Hargrave:
And I think political divides, right? That is contributing in a lot of households as well. I think there is just a lot of conflict in our society in general, and then when we boil that down to our family units, I think it is definitely rippling through.

Conflict is something that a lot of families are experiencing right now. And I always say it’s not conflict that causes divorce—it’s unresolved conflict. Not knowing how to find resolution and peace. For a lot of people, ending the marriage is the way to do that, to a certain extent.

It doesn’t solve all your problems. In a lot of cases, you’re trading one set of problems for another set of problems. But if you’re living in a house with somebody that you’re constantly in conflict with and there’s no resolution, then ending the marriage may be the thing that needs to get done.

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The Role of Communication in Marriages

Gordon: (1:44) Based on what you said, then, is part of this knowing how to communicate—not just to communicate, but how to?

Jennifer Hargrave:
I think communication is such a big part of it. I think it’s really about knowing how to address conflict in relationships, and that’s where I think so many of us fail.

We’re not taught; we don’t have good role models for how to deal with conflict. Sometimes it’s not necessarily that we need to see eye-to-eye and agree on everything, but usually there are core values. When people are in discord over what’s important, it just ripples through and causes a lot of stress.

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Political Divides and Divorce Trends

Gordon: (2:26) We’re speaking with Attorney Jennifer Hargrave, owner and managing partner of Hargrave Family Law in Dallas. We’re talking about January being the month for divorce. You brought up politics, which is interesting. Are you anticipating, say, for lack of a better term, a surge in activity because of politics come January?

Jennifer Hargrave:
I think we’re definitely seeing an uptick that is relatively new over the past five years or so. Maybe there’s always been political divides, and for some people—I mean, there are certainly famous power couples who are of different political bents.

But I think the language, the tenor, and just the temperature right now are really heightened. That can be really difficult for a lot of couples, especially when one partner has changed—changed political affiliations or grown in their beliefs in a different direction. That can leave people feeling very alienated and alone in their family units.

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Financial Considerations for January Divorces

Gordon: (3:26) There’s an interesting note here that I saw about whether or not there’s a financial advantage to a January divorce. Is that a thing?

Jennifer Hargrave:
I mean, I guess it can be. As you’re planning for the new year, certainly if you want to be divorced by the end of the year.

That’s where a lot of people are focused right now. We’re trying to get a lot of divorces finalized that were started earlier in 2024 just so you can be done tax-wise with each other.

It’s a good idea to start that planning early in the year if that’s something that needs to happen. A lot of bonuses get paid out, usually in the spring. March seems to be like a bonus month. So I think people are thinking about that—do I want to be sharing my bonus with my spouse?

So yeah, I think there are a lot of financial considerations. You’re planning trips for the year, you’re planning your budget, and all of that.

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Conclusion

Gordon: (4:26) Jennifer Hargrave, attorney at Hargrave Family Law in Dallas. Twelve minutes now, in front of the hour on This Morning, America’s First News.

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Key Takeaways

• Divorce filings often spike in January due to holiday stress and financial considerations.
• Political divides and unresolved conflict are significant contributors to divorce trends.
• Financial planning for bonuses and taxes can make January an advantageous time for some couples to file.

 

Hargrave Family Law – Compassionate Dallas Divorce Lawyers

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Let us be your advocates during this challenging time. Contact the non-adversarial Dallas divorce lawyers at Hargrave Family Law today for the legal assistance you need to navigate child abandonment and related family law matters. Request a complimentary case evaluation. Together, we can work towards protecting the happiness and well-being of your family.

Hargrave Family Law was founded by compassionate Dallas divorce lawyer Jennifer Hargrave.