Divorce is surprisingly seasonal. Late summer and early fall are largely associated with back-to-school and all that brings, including earlier bedtimes and a return to familiar routines for the kids. However, family law offices often associate this time of the year with new divorce filings.
Correlation isn’t causation. However, there are several things that are likely behind the pattern.
Summer vacation may have been the final attempt to make things work
Many struggling couples enter summer hoping that a vacation together and a renewed effort toward the relationship will reignite the missing spark in their relationship or get them back to a place where they remember why they’re together in the first place. Sometimes, the change of pace and a chance to reflect helps – but sometimes it just makes the problems in the marriage more evident.
A disappointing (or disastrous) vacation can be revealing. Arguments over how to spend time and resources, parenting styles and goals can illustrate just how far a couple has drifted apart emotionally, physically and ideologically. By the time school starts back up, one or both spouses may be ready to call it quits.
The school schedule provides some breathing room
With the kids back in class, the logistics of divorce may feel more manageable. Parents have more opportunity to discuss the situation, review financial issues and talk about custody schedules and living arrangements without interruptions and without the kids overhearing. That can make it easier to sort through some of the details of divorce.
The school routine, too, offers some much-needed stability when everything else is changing or uncertain. Although divorce is still disruptive, the predictable pattern of school days and bedtime schedules can help parents create a workable transition plan.
It’s the last clear opportunity to make a change before the holiday season
Early fall may also feel like the last practical opportunity to begin the divorce process before the holiday season arrives. Once Halloween passes, Thanksgiving and the winter holidays follow quickly. Couples who wait may feel pressured to postpone difficult decisions so they do not disrupt traditions, travel plans or family gatherings.
There’s no “right” time to file for divorce, but if you’re seriously thinking about the options, it may be time to speak to a family law attorney about your situation.