Divorce Day is here as festive fights take toll

LAWYERS are braced for an onslaught from rowing couples whose relationships hit the rocks over Christmas – with today dubbed “Divorce Day”.

Solicitors are traditionally flooded with inquiries on the first working Monday back after the Christmas break following festive flashpoints.

The stress and cost of trying to make Christmas perfect are cited by many couples as the main reason for ending marriages at this time of year.

Loosening

Spending too much time with a spouse’s relatives, receiving disappointing gifts and alcohol loosening tongues for frank opinions are other typical triggers for tension.

And 13 people even applied for divorce on Christmas Day last year on the Ministry of Justice’s new online system.

Amanda Rimmer, a partner and family law expert at Stephensons Solicitors, said some couples decide on a fresh start in the New Year after spending time together over Christmas. Others have delayed drastic action until the festivities have finished.

She said: “Clients have cited anything from hogging the duvet to racking up store card debt as a contributing to their marriage breakdown.”

She advises clients to strive for an amicable settlement. She added: “Try not to be defensive and petty, especially when children are involved.”

Family lawyer Laura Naser of firm Penningtons Manches Cooper, said: “If your marriage is on the rocks, now is likely to be crunch time.

“Statistics show the highest number of divorce petitions are issued the first working Monday after Christmas.”

She advises: “Pick your battles and know when to remove yourself from escalating exchanges.

“Check yourself constantly by asking ‘Am I being reasonable?’ and, if you have children, ‘is this in their best interests?’” Early January also sees a surge in online dating as lonely hearts make a New Year resolution to look for love.

Yesterday, dubbed “Singles Sunday”, was predicted by experts to be the busiest day in the history of online dating with traffic peaking at 11pm.

More than half of singletons aged 18 to 34 have made a New Year resolution to kick start their love life, research from app Match reveals.

Swiping

Match’s dating expert Hayley Quinn said that millions would see the new year as an opportunity to wipe the slate clean and start afresh.

She recommends taking more time when swiping to select quality over quantity.

She said: “Only using online dating services when we’re tired, queueing or just bored isn’t an ideal recipe for meeting a great match.

“So set aside time every day to read people’s profiles and messages properly.”