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Home » Turner Law Offices Blog » Why You Should Delay Your Divorce Until The Holidays Are Over

Why You Should Delay Your Divorce Until The Holidays Are Over

Avoiding Holiday DivorceDivorce During The Holidays

Filing for divorce during the holidays is sure to ruin the happiest time of the year for many families; on the other hand, if you’re having marital problems, tensions can mount and money problems can become more pronounced, making this time of year anything but happy.  Considering making a change to the family unit over the holidays is generally a question of timing.  While sitting through another meal with your spouse and in-laws may seem like the worst thing possible, the repercussions of filing divorce during the holidays may be worse! 

Stop. Take a breath. Think!  Ask yourself if the divorce can be filed after the holidays.


Reasons to Delay Filing For Divorce During Christmas

  1. Children.  To be honest, Christmas is for the children, right?  It’s a time for children to be children and enjoy time with extended family, open presents, and anxiously await that visit from Santa with all his goodies.  Don’t ruin this for your young children.  Filing a divorce during the holidays can cause long lasting psychological and emotion distress to children for years to come.
  2. Property Division: Bonuses are generally paid at the end of the year.  Filing for divorce prior to receiving a bonus may cause you to lose your share of the bonus earned by your spouse. Filing for divorce in January could still cause legal issues over how the bonus should be divided.  Talk to your divorce lawyer during the holidays so that you can get legal advice as to the best course of action.
  3. Income Taxes: Filing for divorce in a new tax year keeps things simple, i.e. filing income taxes jointly in one year and single in the next year.  Having this distinction makes it easier to divide assets, including any joint income tax refund.
  4. Debt: Most people over spend during the holidays.  DO NOT overspend to make yourself feel better.  Marital debt will be taken into the next year, and marital debt must be divided.  Racking up huge credit card bills to make you feel better is a bad idea.
  5. Relax and Enjoy the Holidays: Try to enjoy the holidays.  Avoid conversations that escalate tensions, and do all you can to just get along. Timing is everything; there is no need to rush.  Divorce is a big deal. Use this time off from work to prepare mentally and emotionally for this life-altering decision.

Meet With A Divorce Attorney During The Holidays

The holiday season is generally not that busy for lawyers and clients have time off work.  Even though we are suggesting that you may want to delay the filing of divorce during the holidays, we want you to come in and meet with us during the holiday period. Your life is definitely going to change drastically. Use the holiday season to wrap up your current life, and to prepare for the one ahead. Request a FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION to learn more about divorce and the divorce process.  We will counsel with you and help you prepare practically and emotionally for your divorce.


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