World News – Well for everyone that made it through yesterday and still with your significant other you might just be out of the woods when it comes to her asking you for a divorce. Most women decide to file for divorce on January 3rd.
“The beginning of January is often seen as a peak time for divorces, but the initial meetings with a solicitor will usually have taken place in the preceding November – that’s when there’s a real spike in activity for divorce lawyers.
“The onset of the Christmas period really doesn’t help couples who are in an already precarious position. They recognise that everything which comes with the festive season is bound to result in increased financial demands being made on them, as well as having to spend more time together and with the in-laws. The prospect of this can often be a bridge too far for many couples.
“Combine this with the fact that the festive season provides people with time to reflect and make a final decision on the state of their marriage, it’s perhaps no surprise that 3 January is the date when more people make their application to the court to be granted a divorce.
“Whilst the financial climate of the last few years has made some couples stay together, when they probably would have divorced in rosier economic times, this is now going to change. With no clear end in sight to this period of financial uncertainty, more and more couples will be prepared to cut their losses and seek dissolution of their marriage.
“However, with statistics suggesting that one in four children now have parents who live separately, the key is to seek early specialist family law advice. Importantly, this can help to avoid unnecessary battles as parties are fully informed of all available options. As a keen supporter of collaborative law, I firmly back the Government and judiciary’s stance of ‘make it, rather than break it’. Mediation, ahead of complex court proceedings, is always the preferred option, particularly when children are involved – an amicable parting is surely better than one that is not.
“The divorce rate among the over-50s is also likely to increase, as wives in this demographic have become less reliant on their husbands for an income stream.”
By – Elizabeth Hassall, www.gateleyuk.com
