January has earned the nickname ‘divorce month’, a term used to describe the increase in divorce related enquiries at the start of the year.
The weeks following the festive period often bring a noticeable rise in couples seeking legal advice or researching separation online, according to Francis George Solicitors.
The family law firm suggests the trend is closely linked to the pressures of the Christmas period.
They said most couples delay major decisions until after Christmas to avoid disrupting the family, especially when children are involved. This makes January peak season for separations.
Joanna Newton, a divorce solicitor and Partner at Stowe Family Law, said: “January is consistently our busiest month for divorce and separation enquiries, recording the highest monthly volume in 2025, approximately 20% higher than the average month.”
“What we usually see is that the festive period acts as a stress test. If a relationship is already fragile, the pressures of Christmas, emotional expectations, finances, family dynamics and enforced time together can expose issues that have been present for months or even years,” Joanna added.
The introduction of no-fault divorce in April 2022 has made separations less confrontational.
This legislation allows couples to part ways without assigning blame, removing the need to cite adultery or unreasonable behaviour.
In the first three months of 2023, over 24,600 applications were made under the no fault system according to Francis George Solicitors.
Matt Davies, a marriage, couple and relationship councillor, said: “It’s pressure that brings relationship issues to breaking point.
“To get things perfect for a happy Christmas, managing relatives and arranging time with each other’s families can cause particular difficulty, as well alliances and hierarchies are changing.”
“It’s avoidance that delays a decision until after Christmas. Burying things until it’s too late. Seeking to keep the peace. Ironically seeking to protect the relationship from conflict can cause its dissolution later,” Matt added.
Despite its reputation, ‘divorce month’ is less about sudden break ups and more about timing.
January is when the difficult conversations are finally had – once the decorations are down and real-life resumes.
