On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Child Custody on Monday, January 27, 2014.
The winter holidays and divorce are odd bedfellows. From Thanksgiving through New Years, many people would view filing a divorce as inappropriate, as being in bad taste or simply mean spirited. Especially if you have young children, attempting to explain why mommy or daddy is throwing all of their clothes into a suitcase and leaving would be traumatic.
Nevertheless, that does not mean they are not thinking about divorce. All of the parties and get-togethers, along with the big family meals can exacerbate all of those things you now find troubling in your spouse. If things are already rocky, the forced bonhomie of the holidays combined with problematic behavior, like drinking too much or always being late, may allow the weak spots to show in a relationship.
It is little wonder that internet searches like “child custody” suddenly may appear in your browser history. Both online research and actual divorce filings trend upwards during January and peak in March.
As the afterglow, if there was any, fades from the holidays, the New Year may seem like a good time to make a fresh start. Additionally, the bills from the holidays show up and activities like filing your taxes may encourage more people to assess their relationship and their marriage, in addition to their finances.
They all go together in a divorce, as it is good idea to know where you stand with your finances, as that will be necessary to develop an accurate property division.
If you have children, before you file may also be a good time to look at the kind of child custody you want and, as important, if it is to be joint custody, what a workable schedule will look like.
Source: CNN, “In January, ‘ex’ marks the spot,” Sarah LeTrent, January 17, 2014
