Usually in the first week or two of January, the phone tends to ring off the hook with new clients calling to start their divorce. The holidays sometimes create conflict that is the last straw. Other times, clients have been planning to get divorced for a while, but they didn’t want to start the process and disrupt the holidays. In any case, January has been called, “Divorce Month” by many Family Law Attorneys.

If you are considering a divorce, here are three things to consider:

1)   Filing for divorce is not likely to improve your relationship. It is rare that this strategy works to fix the relationship. Don’t file for divorce unless you really want to get divorced.

2) Getting divorced is unlikely to solve your financial problems. If the paychecks are not enough to support one household, they will not be enough to support two separate households.

3) Getting divorced is disruptive to children. The children’s family is destroyed, and the children often blame themselves for the marriage not working. Please consider the effect on the children before filing for divorce.

If you have just been served with your spouse’s divorce petition, the above points are good to keep in mind when discussing issues with your spouse.

Even so, there are many circumstances when divorce is the better option. _­Please consult a professional before beginning the divorce process.