The year is winding down and the holiday season is in full swing. Everywhere you go, you see heartwarming affirmations of love and togetherness.
For a lot of couples, the holiday season provides a window of opportunity to hit a “reset button” on their relationships. The holidays can be exactly what it takes for both parties to remember exactly how much they value each other.
For other couples, however, the winter holidays are just a prelude to a divorce. The phenomenon is so common that the first working day of each year has been unofficially dubbed “National Divorce Day.”
There’s usually one of two things behind a January divorce
What causes couples to make their way to a divorce lawyer’s office before the holiday wreaths are even off their doors? Most of the time it comes down to one of the following:
- At least one of the two spouses was already planning to divorce the other, but they didn’t want to take action during the holiday season. If there are children involved, many couples don’t want them to associate the holidays with their parents’ divorce. If there aren’t, one spouse may simply want to avoid being accused of being insensitive.
- At least one of the spouses had unrealistic hopes that they could overcome their marital difficulties. When their high expectations aren’t met, reality can crash down around them pretty hard. Holiday disagreements about everything from gifts to visits from the relatives can make a couple realize that they’re truly incompatible.
If you buy into what the Hallmark Channel is selling, every romance is guaranteed a happy ending – but relationships are far too complicated for that. If you suspect that a divorce is in your future, it may be time to learn more.
