Each new year, as everyone takes down their holiday decor and posts “new year, new me,” Instagram Stories, another tradition arrives: an inrush of couples who choose to spend the first weeks of the year filing for divorce.
Over the years, January has earned a reputation for being prime time for legal splits—so widely, in fact, that it’s been dubbed “Divorce Month” by family law professionals who find themselves busier than usual this time of year. A University of Washington study that assessed monthly divorce rates over the past few decades found a 33 percent increase in filings in January. And last year, Semrush reported a significant increase in search volume for the terms “divorce,” “how to get a divorce,” and “file for divorce” from December to January, while Yelp inquiries for divorce lawyers spiked 33 percent month-over-month from December 2024 to January 2025.
The top of the year isn’t the only time divorce filings surge. Data suggests March and late summer are also popular windows. But January reigns supreme as the most iconic “Divorce Month” thanks, in part, to the many familiar, compounding factors believed to influence this influx of New Year’s splits.
“The introspection that accompanies New Year’s resolutions can act as a powerful catalyst, which often prompts people to pursue significant changes in their lives, including within their marriages,” says divorce attorney Jackie Combs. As hopeful resolution makers embrace the fresh slate of a new year via sobriety, a bold hair change, or fresh fitness goals, those who find their marriages are no longer working may also feel empowered to reset their lives in a major way.
“The new year [provides] psychological permission [by] encouraging a sense of closure, renewed agency, and the motivation for long-avoided changes,” says marriage and family therapist Carrie Ann Cleveland. “People find themselves asking, ‘Can I survive another year like this?’ The holidays pause breakups; January permits people to act.”
Beyond the general “refresh your life” energy in the air, experts highlight a few additional factors that may also contribute to this seasonal trend.
The Holiday Season Effect
Any underlying issues a couple may be dealing with are likely only heightened by holiday stress. With extended family in town and finances strained by year-end expenses, the holidays are enough to test the resilience of any union—let alone a marriage on the rocks.
This may be a particularly trying time for straight women (more so than their male partners), with a Stanford study suggesting wives are more likely to be the ones initiating a post-holiday split than the husbands they’re divorcing. Cleveland says this may be because women often shoulder the majority of holiday labor in heterosexual partnerships.
“Many women enter the holidays already emotionally exhausted, as they often carry the mental load of preparing for and executing the lion’s share of the holiday festivities,” Cleveland explains, adding that women considering divorce may spend the holidays quietly observing their spouse, confirming patterns, and preparing to take the next step. “For many women contemplating divorce, January represents permission, not impulsivity,” she explains. “January isn’t when women decide to leave; it’s when they finally stop negotiating with themselves to stay.”
Combs adds that many couples may also hold off on filing until after the holidays to protect family peace, especially when children are involved. “This approach intends to minimize disruption to their children’s routines and create a more stable period for the family while they’re navigating the transition,” Combs explains.
January Divorces Are More Practical
The wait-until-after-the-holidays approach also has logistical benefits. January is when end-of-year bonuses (hopefully) arrive, new health insurance cycles begin, and tax preparation starts. All of this makes it a convenient moment to begin a legal separation and thoroughly assess asset splits.
“The timing of a divorce is often a strategic financial decision,” Combs says. “While it’s not legally advantageous, filing in January can offer financial clarity. It provides a clean break from the previous tax year and allows for the clear accounting of year-end bonuses and other assets before proceedings begin.”
In truth, there’s no perfect time to get divorced. But those who choose to leave an unhappy situation during “Divorce Month” do so with the hope that they won’t have to spend another year suppressing discontent and delaying the separation process. “January doesn’t cause divorce, clarity does,” Jackie emphasizes. “In reality, the decision [to separate] is typically the culmination of months, or even years, of unresolved issues and growing misalignment. The new year simply provides the catalyst to act.”
