Ask a divorce lawyer and they’ll tell you that January is their busy season: it’s the most common month for divorce. Holiday stress and financial woes take an emotional toll on many couples. So it’s tempting to think that if you’re still together by January 31st, your marriage is home and dry.
Unfortunately, if there are problems in your marriage, they won’t go away at the end of the month: and the calendar’s shortest month has many complicated factors that can make life – and love – even harder for you and your spouse.
1. The holiday hangover
The holiday season means spending lots of time cooped up together in close quarters; getting drawn into family arguments; and perhaps the stress of having to organize a holiday meal or party. Then there are the resulting January arguments: every couple fights, but stats show that many couples fight more often in January than in any other month. So by the time February rolls around you may find that you and your partner are experiencing a lot of resentment, and your relationship is strained.
2. Financial trouble
Money causes more marital rows than just about anything else. So it’s undoubtedly going to have an impact on you, your partner and your marriage when you’re still dealing with the holiday credit card bills well into February – and your next holiday bonus is a long way away.
3. Blame it on the weatherman
The bad weather may not be as relentless in February as it was in January; but it’s still cold and rainy so much of the time that it’s hard to plan any decent time out of the house. No romantic getaways; no Sunday morning walks in the park: just you, your spouse, an overheated home and a stack of bills. Not to mention that the lack of sunlight can have a huge negative impact on your mood, leading to irritability and – you guessed it – more rows.
4. You’ve broken all your New Year’s Resolutions already
If your marriage has been under strain you may have started the year determined to put things right. You may have resolved to be kinder to your partner, to share the chores more equally, or even to take up a new hobby as a couple. By February those good intentions are likely to have evaporated, leaving you struggling either to connect as a couple or to accept that things just aren’t working.
5. Valentine’s Day
V-Day can put any relationship under pressure. After two or three months of stress and strain, the last thing you might need is an overpriced night out – especially if it only serves to remind you that you and your partner just aren’t as loved-up as you once were.
6. Wondering whether it’s time for a divorce lawyer
The February blues may be a sign that it’s time for you and your partner to make a big change in your lives – and even contemplating that change can be scary. There can be so much to think about, particularly if you have children or own a home together. If you think it’s time to talk to a divorce lawyer, contact a specialised firm – like Ontario divorce lawyers Matrimonial Home – to make sure you know what to expect.
