It has been labelled by the press as ‘the perfect day to untie the knot’ – but is ‘divorce day’, in January, really the busiest day of the year for family lawyers?
The first two months of every year are traditionally meant to see divorce applications spike rapidly. The first working Monday of each calendar year has been labelled as ‘Divorce Day’, as it is supposedly the busiest day of the year for family lawyers.
But now the dust has supposedly settled, it gives us a chance to look back objectively and assess whether there is any truth in the story.
There is some cynicism towards the statistic, because many see it as a PR stunt engineered by law firms to promote their work. While there is clearly some truth in that, there is also no doubt that at DMA Law, we sadly do see a definite increase in divorce enquiries in January and February.
However, the media seem to promote the idea that people have been tipped over the edge after spending 10 days in each other’s company, and this is usually incorrect. We very rarely encounter cases in which people have reached breaking-up point over so short a period of time.
It is far more likely that there have been underlying problems for some time, and that people have simply chosen to wait until the right time before they seek a separation.
The other idea that the media seems keen to push is that divorce lawyers revel in any increase in divorce figures. This seems to be fuelled by the American TV cliché of hard-faced and ruthless attorneys, sitting across a table from each other thrashing out terms for their clients.
Nothing could be further from the truth. The vast majority of family lawyers – and certainly we at DMA Law – want to see families find ways to work through their problems. Divorce should only ever be a last resort and we would always recommend counselling and an attempt at reconciliation before any irreversible action is taken.
However, if it does reach that stage, we know that divorce – as well as other family issues that require legal assistance – can be incredibly testing and emotionally draining and we will always work closely with our clients to ensure they receive only the best possible legal advice, but also an understanding and supportive ear.
For advice on any of the following areas, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
- Divorce and financial settlements
- Relationship breakdown involving unmarried couples
- Pre-nuptial and Separation Agreements
- Child Law including Parental Responsibility, Residence, Contact and Prohibited Steps Orders
- Care Proceedings and Adoption
- Domestic Violence
- Civil Partnerships
Or, for a more informal chat, please contact the DMA Law Link using link@dma-law.co.uk.
