“Divorce day,” or the first working Monday of January, sees an annual surge of unhappily married couples heading their separate ways — and winding up at family law attorneys’ offices.
Why is January a big time for divorces?
There’s no one reason behind the social phenomenon, including the following:
- Nostalgia and hope. Even in unhappy marriages, the holiday season can resurrect good memories. Wishful thinking may lead some couples to believe the magic of the season will renew their love for each other. When it fails to do so, they seek a divorce.
- Sympathy and guilt. Sometimes couples purposefully wait until the holidays are over because they don’t want to ruin the memories of the season for their spouse or children.
- Social pressure and avoidance. Other times, couples stick it out because they don’t want to answer uncomfortable questions when they show up alone to family events and other social gatherings.
When the holidays are over, however, it takes very little time before people who are unhappy to make their moves toward a divorce.
What can you do to get ready for a divorce?
Before you walk into your attorney’s office, here’s what you should do to get ready:
- Get your financial information together. You need copies of your tax returns, bank statements, credit card bills, retirement accounts, pay stubs and other investments.
- Get any other documents compiled that you may need. This could include a prenuptial agreement or postnup, copies of letters that prove valuable pieces of property were a gift, etc.
- Get a budget together. You need to know your current and estimated expenses for your post-divorce future. That will help address any issues of support.
Divorce is rarely an easy process, but you can get through it with the right guidance. Your Knoxville family law attorney can help.