It is an unfortunate statistic that there is an increase in the number of people separating and divorcing in the month of January; what is it about Christmas that causes this?
Except in cases of cheating, with most separations there is rarely a single isolated event that causes the decision. Often there are a number of different causes or incidents that build up over a period of time and come to a head over the Christmas break.
Post-Christmas separation
Unlike the rest of the year, at Christmas couples are almost forced to be together, which combined with any pre-existing issues can often be the final straw.
Christmas places a lot of financial stress on relationships and more time than ever is spent in each other’s company, which combined with Christmas traffic, busy shops, a hectic schedule of commitments and often a confused sleep pattern caused by early mornings and late nights often leads to the breaking point.
Whilst it is an old cliché, there is also the “dreaded in-laws”, which for many couples is not an enjoyable experience. For those who consume alcohol, Christmas usually results in a higher consumption of alcohol which often reduces inhibitions and can lead to inappropriate behaviour in the family setting or at a work party, or simply saying something that would otherwise have remained private or unsaid.
For many couples, especially those with children, if one party is already considering divorce they may be choosing wait until after Christmas to avoid awkwardness at family gatherings; or so the children do not have a bad memory associated with Christmas.
Christmas in itself rarely causes a separation, often it causes a delay to the matter. If however, you have come out of the Christmas period and have made the decision to separate, or have been requested to separate by your partner, then you need to know your options.
How Burtons can help
You can get free impartial advice from Burtons Solicitors. We are proud to offer all potential clients a no obligation, half hour free interview to go through your situation and to let you know your choices, and how we can help. By filling out an online contact form, we can reach out to you to find a suitable time and date. Our contact form can be found here.
So if you find yourself with a post-Christmas separation and you require legal advice from a family solicitor please contact Burtons Solicitors on 01892 824 577 or on family@burtons-solicitors.com.
