Have your conflicts with your spouse been escalating? If tensions in your household have been rising over the last few months, you may be hoping that a summer vacation will help ease the stress level and put you and your spouse back on track.
Well, think again. Attorneys have long known (and studies back them up) that new divorces tend to follow the seasons. The first wave comes right after the holidays are over at the start of every new year. The second “divorce season” is right when summer ends and the kids are back in school.
Why does the end of summer spell divorce for so many couples? Experts aren’t entirely sure, but they have some ideas. They include:
- Broken dreams: Sometimes couples hold out a lot of hope that a vacation will stir the echoes of their lost love. More often, however, vacations with an embittered or disgruntled spouse just lead to more tensions and make your incompatibility more obvious.
- False expectations: You can’t fix your marriage on your own. If your spouse has already disengaged from the marriage, there’s no real possibility of renewing your romance.
- Subterfuge: Your spouse may already be planning their exit. If so, they may simply be waiting until the school season starts again so that the kids have a buffer from the troubles at home when the divorce finally gets set in motion.
- Timing: Your spouse may just want to make certain that they don’t ruin either summer vacation or the holiday season for your kids. If that’s their plans, they may give you the impression that everything’s okay — right up until they decide to stop and file for divorce.
If you suspect that a divorce is coming, don’t wait until your spouse hands you papers or walks out the door to talk to an experienced advocate about your rights and your options. Good planning can help you avoid bigger problems.
