1 00:00:01,800 --> 00:00:06,840 Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff, a production of iHeart Radio, Hey 2 00:00:06,920 --> 00:00:11,680 Speaker 1: brain Stuff, Lauren bog Obam. Here a new year. Time 3 00:00:11,760 --> 00:00:15,600 Speaker 1: to firm up those resolutions, pair down possessions, eat more vegetables, 4 00:00:15,640 --> 00:00:20,919 Speaker 1: and get divorced. Research commissioned by a UK based law 5 00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:26,320 Speaker 1: firm called Cooperative Legal Services suggested that as of January 6 00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:30,200 Speaker 1: brought an over three increase in divorce proceedings over the 7 00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:34,519 Speaker 1: previous four months, and USA Today reported in twenty nineteen 8 00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:37,400 Speaker 1: the the topic of divorce peaked on Google trends the 9 00:00:37,400 --> 00:00:41,040 Speaker 1: week of January six through the twelve, at the dawn 10 00:00:41,080 --> 00:00:43,720 Speaker 1: of a new year. It seems couples who have kept 11 00:00:43,720 --> 00:00:47,400 Speaker 1: the peace during holiday festivities can wait no longer. Come 12 00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:51,600 Speaker 1: January one, they're ready to take official action towards marriage dissolution. 13 00:00:53,360 --> 00:00:55,720 Speaker 1: But it seems that it isn't the hoopla of the 14 00:00:55,760 --> 00:00:59,680 Speaker 1: holidays that breaks the camels back. More likely, the leapen 15 00:00:59,760 --> 00:01:02,640 Speaker 1: divorce inquiries is the result of a collective agreement to 16 00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:05,280 Speaker 1: put off the big announcement until after the kids have 17 00:01:05,319 --> 00:01:08,360 Speaker 1: opened their presence and all the grandparents, aunts and uncles 18 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:13,800 Speaker 1: have returned to their respective homes. The aforementioned law firm 19 00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:17,679 Speaker 1: also commissioned a survey of five hundred divorces. The results 20 00:01:17,720 --> 00:01:21,920 Speaker 1: found that of couples beginning divorce proceedings in January had 21 00:01:21,959 --> 00:01:25,040 Speaker 1: already planned to call it quits long before the ball dropped. 22 00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:28,960 Speaker 1: For the article, this episode is based on How Stuff Works. 23 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:32,920 Speaker 1: Spoke with Sam Hickman back in she was the head 24 00:01:32,959 --> 00:01:36,240 Speaker 1: of family law for Cooperative Legal Services at the time. 25 00:01:37,040 --> 00:01:40,319 Speaker 1: She explained many will have sought legal advice before the 26 00:01:40,360 --> 00:01:43,520 Speaker 1: Christmas break and then chosen to move their separation forward 27 00:01:43,600 --> 00:01:48,720 Speaker 1: in the new year. According to the survey's results, of 28 00:01:48,720 --> 00:01:52,320 Speaker 1: respondents who didn't announce divorce proceedings until after the holidays 29 00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:55,800 Speaker 1: said they didn't want to dampen the festivities. A third 30 00:01:55,840 --> 00:01:58,720 Speaker 1: of those couples wanted to have quote one Mass Christmas 31 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:01,240 Speaker 1: as a family a all. Another third side of day 32 00:02:01,320 --> 00:02:04,600 Speaker 1: lack of public confirmation as their reason for keeping mum, 33 00:02:05,480 --> 00:02:08,080 Speaker 1: didn't want to upset family members with the news, and 34 00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:11,280 Speaker 1: nine percent didn't want to spoil a child's birthday that 35 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:16,280 Speaker 1: fell around the holidays. Hickman said many couples, especially those 36 00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:19,760 Speaker 1: with children, do not want to cause unnecessary upheaval over 37 00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:25,480 Speaker 1: the festive period. They don't want the children distressed. However, 38 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:28,800 Speaker 1: it seems that January is actually the peak for divorce 39 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:33,800 Speaker 1: inquiries of rather than actual filings. A different survey conducted 40 00:02:33,840 --> 00:02:36,760 Speaker 1: by the University of Washington, looking at fourteen years of data, 41 00:02:37,080 --> 00:02:40,480 Speaker 1: found that March and August were both peak times for 42 00:02:40,560 --> 00:02:44,600 Speaker 1: divorce filings. The divorce process does take some time, so 43 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:48,000 Speaker 1: while filings did begin to climb in January, March was 44 00:02:48,080 --> 00:02:53,120 Speaker 1: the peak month. And what about August? The researchers believed 45 00:02:53,160 --> 00:02:55,600 Speaker 1: parents may have wanted their children to have a good 46 00:02:55,680 --> 00:02:59,679 Speaker 1: summer experience before filing for divorce, or maybe the big 47 00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:03,520 Speaker 1: summer tripp didn't live up to expectations, increasing the disillusionment 48 00:03:03,560 --> 00:03:06,880 Speaker 1: of the spouses with their marriage. They may have wanted 49 00:03:06,919 --> 00:03:08,919 Speaker 1: to file before the start of the new school year. 50 00:03:09,120 --> 00:03:11,160 Speaker 1: That's similar to how others filed at the start of 51 00:03:11,280 --> 00:03:14,839 Speaker 1: calendar year. The August spike was almost at the level 52 00:03:14,880 --> 00:03:19,280 Speaker 1: of the March peak. Hickman said, I don't think that 53 00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:21,920 Speaker 1: there is a right time to file for divorce in 54 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:25,400 Speaker 1: the vast majority of cases. It is distressing news for 55 00:03:25,480 --> 00:03:33,160 Speaker 1: any family at any time. Today's episode is based on 56 00:03:33,200 --> 00:03:36,280 Speaker 1: the article is January really the biggest month for divorces? 57 00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:38,680 Speaker 1: On how Stuff Works dot Com, written by Lauree L. Dove. 58 00:03:39,160 --> 00:03:41,600 Speaker 1: The brain Stuff is production of iHeart Radio in partnership 59 00:03:41,600 --> 00:03:43,440 Speaker 1: with how stuff works dot Com, and it's produced by 60 00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:46,800 Speaker 1: Tyler Klang. Four more podcasts my heart Radio, visit the 61 00:03:46,800 --> 00:03:49,600 Speaker 1: iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to 62 00:03:49,640 --> 00:03:50,520 Speaker 1: your favorite shows.