Did the Holidays Lead to Thoughts of Divorce?

While many families love to gather ‘round the table and cherish the time together, are you secretly wishing you could be somewhere else?  Instead of feeling closer to your spouse, are you longing to cut the ties that bind you together?  If the holidays feel like a weight around your neck because you simply don’t want to be trapped in an unhappy marriage any longer, you may be thinking that this is the time to finally consult with an experienced, board certified divorce attorney.

Filings Jump 

Studies consistently demonstrate that December registers the lowest number of filings for divorce country wide.   Researchers believe that unhappy couples are unwilling to disrupt the holidays, and, in some cases, couples are giving their marriages one last boost of effort in an attempt to avoid divorce altogether. But once the hustle and bustle is behind them, many couples find that those old feelings of discontent start nagging again, leading to a significant jump in divorce filings starting in January and continuing for the next couple of months.  Pure and simple, many believe the new year is the right time to leave the old life of unhappiness and disgruntlement behind and take a step in a new direction.

Moving Forward 

Whether divorce has been on your radar for a while or the idea is new to you, you may have reservations about how to protect yourself and others during such an upheaval to life.  Here are a few suggestions to simplify and ease the process for everyone:

• Find a local divorce attorney that you trust and who will put your concerns front and center.
• Start with practical issues: How will living arrangements change?
• What arrangements need to be made to temporarily address custody, visitation, and child support?
• Go into this with a commitment to treat your ex with respect.
• Do everything in your power to make this easier on the kids. That means keeping your frustrations, anger, and other negative emotions toward your ex to yourself.
• Maintain a positive attitude by forming new routines and starting up new traditions.
• Avoid the temptation to squash your feelings. Experience them and find positive ways to move forward.
• Debrief your experience with a trusted friend.
• Avoid over imbibing in alcohol.
• Experience gratitude, acknowledging you have plenty to feel good about even in tough times;
• Spend time exercising, in service to others, or in other beneficial ways.

Starting Over 

When it’s all said and done, you will have stepped away from a life that was making you unhappy and moving forward into new territory.  While it will be frightening in some respects, it may ultimately be exactly what you’re looking for.  At WiseLieberman, PLLC, our Boca Raton divorce lawyers are all too familiar with the challenges of divorce and step up to ensure our clients have excellent representation in order to achieve the best possible outcomes.  Contact us for a confidential consultation today.

Resource:

washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/08/23/the-times-of-year-youre-most-likely-to-get-divorced/