Valentine’s Day and Divorces

February 14th is annually a day when companies like Hallmark making a substantial profit on fancy cards, florists work overtime and chocolate companies struggle to keep enough product on the shelves. Valentine’s Day goes back to the days of the Roman Empire. A tale as old as time, if you will. And while Valentine’s Day is most famously known as the day of love, a statistic that might shock you is that divorce filings skyrocket almost 40 percent during Valentine’s season; compared to the previous six-month time period. “A study of divorce filings in New York, Illinois and California by AttorneyFee.com, a legal referral site, found that February is the busiest month of the year for divorce filings, up about 18% from the average month. And those seeking referrals for a divorce lawyer on the site increase 38% following the holiday, with the biggest spike on the day after Valentine's. Another legal site, Avvo.com, reports a 40% increase in those seeking information and advice about divorce in the period right after Valentine's Day.” [1]

New Year’s Resolution

One might wonder why the “day of love” is marred with so many additional divorce filings and there are a few reasons you might not have considered. Perhaps it was a New Year’s resolution to pull the plug on a relationship that has died. Some wait until after the holidays as to not “rock the boat” for their families. As with everything, money can play a factor as well, whether it is end-of-the-year bonuses, tax filings, or the like.

Inspect What You Expect

There are some that face themselves with unmet expectations around Valentine’s Day. Perhaps they expected more, or maybe even less. Maybe that the “day of love” would rekindle a fire in their marriage. The commercialization of a holiday like Valentine’s Day can provide unrealistic expectations for many. It’s important to “inspect what you expect.” While the always-put-together movie stars portray Valentine’s Day on the big screen as this flawlessly executed day of romance, that is not always everyone’s reality.

While Valentine’s Day records have shown somewhere around 14 million roses are delivered in one day, the day after is one of the busiest days for divorce attorneys. Be prepared and be organized for whatever may lie ahead.

[1] https://money.cnn.com/2013/02/15/pf/valentine-divorce/index.html