Skip to main content

Do the Christmas Festivities Really Add to Your Relationship Troubles?

Today is ‘National Divorce Day’, a day associated with Solicitors receiving the highest number of divorce enquiries in comparison to the rest of the year. The spike is said to be synonymous with the Christmas period. Maria Parker, a Family Lawyer here at Hodgkinsons Solicitors Skegness, investigates what it is about Christmas that leads to such circumstances.

Do the Christmas Festivities Really Add to Your Relationship Troubles?

For many years, the first working Monday of the year has been dubbed ‘Divorce Day’ as Family Solicitors expect to receive more divorce enquiries than any other day throughout the year.

Research has found that over 40,500 people search online for “divorce” in the month of January which is a 25% increase compared with any other month. Official figures for 2018 show that on Christmas Day 13 people filed for divorce within the UK. They also show that between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day 455 divorce applications were submitted online to the HM Courts & Tribunals Service. New Years Day proved to be the most popular day with 77 applications being submitted, followed by 26 on Christmas Eve and 23 on Boxing Day.

However, Christmas is not said to be the sole cause of divorce but merely a contribution to the cause of divorce for relationships which are already at crisis point. Distressed relationships are said to be more likely to collapse following the Christmas period when associated stresses cause there to be a higher chance for existing relationship tensions to come to a head. There are many ‘festive triggers’ which cause matrimonial issues to escalate such as the following:

  • Pressure to create a ‘perfect’ Christmas;
  • Money worries following an expensive Christmas;
  • Long, unusual periods of intense time spent together;
  • Time off to think such issues over;
  • Difference of opinions over Christmas;
  • Increased alcohol consumption;
  • Hectic Christmas schedule causing stress;
  • Increase in domestic responsibilities such as cooking and cleaning;
  • Stress of trying to keep everyone happy from the in-laws to the children.

It is not uncommon for many people to feel stressed and pressurised to ensure that everyone gets together for Christmas and the entire family have a ‘perfect’ Christmas. Therefore, when this does not happen, it often leads to a sense of sadness and failure which ultimately causes problems to surface which had before remained dormant.

If your circumstances are changing and you are considering divorce, our specialist Family Lawyers recommend that you seek legal advice as soon as possible. Divorce proceedings can be one of the most difficult, confusing times of your life, but Hodgkinsons Solicitors are here to help. Our Family Law Team have the specialist knowledge and experience to advise you on all aspects of divorce whether you are located in Skegness, Boston, Sleaford, Grimsby, Scunthorpe or beyond. If you would like to speak to a member of the team, call us on 01754 897150 or submit your enquiry online at https://www.hodgkinsons.co.uk/personal-and-family/family/divorce and we will call you.