These Are The Two Months With The Highest Divorce Rate

Apr 05, 2018 by apost team

Did you know that March and August are the two months of the year where couples divorce the most? Thanks to a new study from the University of Washington, their research has determined that seasonal breakups are a real thing. Winter and summer holidays may be the driving force behind these splits.

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The original purpose of their study was to research the effects recession had on marriage stability, but what they found shocked them. When they look at the data between 2001 and 2015, they noticed a distinct pattern of divorce filings that peaked twice a year.

Even after researchers accounted for other stressful factors like unemployment and dips in the housing market, the seasonal trends remained very clear.

The researchers have speculated that the reason why March and August are such popular months to file for divorce is because the holiday seasons are over. Most couples don't want to split during the holidays because those are really special family bonding times. They believe that a "social clock" dictates how the family operates during holidays, birthdays, and other traditions that take place during the year.
 

Not only is filing for divorce during the holidays frowned upon by society, but most couples use the holidays as one last try to fix their problems. Maybe they hope that the joy and excitement of the vacation can restore their marriage. If they don't have any hope, they may still stick together to prevent ruining that holiday permanently for their children.

But holidays don't feel magical all on their own. Having a wonderful time requires lots of time and money, which can bring additional stress to an already unhappy marriage. Since most people view the holidays as a time where you can have a fresh start in life, they build unrealistically high expectations. Since magic isn't real and can't fix huge problems, their disappointment during the holidays emphasizes the lukewarm reality of their current situation.
 

The researchers also note that divorce is a lengthy process, which is why these spikes occur a few months after the holidays are over. March is three months after New Years and August is the end of summer, which gives couples plenty of time to find lawyers and begin the process.

Although most people believe that suicide peaks during the holiday season, suicides are actually highest during the springtime because the extra sun can boost energy levels enough to motivate people to act on their wishes. Perhaps the same holds true for divorce.

Their research has only focused on data collected from Washington, but they are now in the process of analyzing information gathered from other states to see if their hypothesis holds merit. At the moment, they've already looked at data from Ohio, Arizona, Florida, and Minnesota, but, so far, the patterns are still holding up.

What do you think about this study? Let your friends and family know about these findings and start a conversation!