Why couples separate in the first few months of each new year; some thoughts

While the media often labels the first working Monday of the year as “Divorce Day”, the reality is far more nuanced. For many individuals, the early months of the year represent a turning point — a moment when long‑standing concerns come into focus and there is a growing wish to ensure the coming year is better than the last.

Holiday pressures bring underlying issues to the surface
The end of year holiday season is widely seen as a time of celebration, but for couples already experiencing strain, it can intensify existing challenges. Financial pressures, family obligations, and heightened expectations often create an environment where unresolved issues become more visible.

Many couples choose to “get through Christmas and New Year” before addressing difficult conversations.
As a result, January and February become the first practical opportunity to take a breath, perhaps speak to your partner, and seek legal advice. On top of this, Valentine’s Day on 14 February can add pressure to a relationship that is already facing challenges.

A new year encourages reflection and reassessment
The symbolic fresh start of a new year prompts many people to evaluate their personal circumstances. When individuals have spent months or years feeling unhappy or disconnected, January is a long and difficult month to get through, and often becomes the time when they decide that in order to improve their lives, separation and (hopefully) constructive co-parenting is needed for the benefit of the entire family.

Missing family and ‘home’ overseas
It can be a challenging time for people who originate from outside of England and are missing their wider circle of family and friends at ‘home’. The distance is sometimes brought home to them by spending the holidays together or by not being able to do so due to distance, particularly when grandparents are getting older and less able to travel. A wish to return home or move closer to grandparents, parents, adult siblings and friends for support, especially if the wider family are based abroad, can become ever stronger.

These are often a combination of concerns that have been building over time.

Practical considerations influence timing
The beginning of the year often aligns with practical and financial factors that enable separation to become more feasible, for example:
Annual bonuses or year‑end financial reviews have taken place;
A clearer picture of household budgets after holiday spending emerges;
Tax returns due on 31 January each year brings family finances into focus; and
The residential property market tends to start wakening up in time for Spring viewings, following quieter winter months.

Parents may delay decisions for the sake of children
Parents frequently postpone separation discussions until after the holidays to preserve a sense of stability for their children. Once the festive period has passed, they feel more able to consider next steps without disrupting important family traditions.

This contributes to the noticeable rise in enquiries in January and February, with hopes and aims of agreeing arrangements for children for upcoming school holidays such as Easter, half-terms and summer.

A time for difficult decisions — and informed support
The rise in early‑year separations is not a sign of impulsive decision‑making. It reflects a natural point in the year when many people feel ready to confront long‑standing concerns and seek a more secure future.
For anyone considering separation, early legal advice is beneficial and is especially important for families with connections to other countries, in order to ensure you have the widest range of options available to you and to enable you to follow the path that is best for you. We are here to provide clear, compassionate guidance at every stage.

We help you to:

Understand your legal rights and options including protective measures if needed;

• Prioritise the wellbeing of your children;
• Explore alternatives such as mediation;
• Navigate financial considerations with confidence;
• Make informed decisions at a pace that feels right for you; and

We always remember that no two situations are ever the same, and we approach every enquiry with sensitivity and discretion.

Covid-19 Restrictions Update

Following the easing of Covid-19 restrictions, we are pleased to announce that our office has reopened for in-person client appointments. We also continue to offer appointments via online platforms such as Zoom, Skype and Teams.

Despite the easing of restrictions, we are still maintaining social distancing measures at our office for the safety of both our clients and staffs.

We look forward to seeing you soon.

Major overhaul of Family Justice System

On 22 April this year the government brought into force a number of new provisions affecting family justice in the UK. These provisions came into force as part of the new Children and Families Act 2014 with the aim of reforming the way family justice is treated and, as part of the reforms, we have also seen the launch of the new Single Family Court.

Traditionally, family justice has been left to the civil courts and specialist family judges were relatively rare, usually to be found sitting in the Central London courts only. Under the new Family Court, the government have transformed the landscape of UK family justice. Specialist family courts have been designated all around the country as part of a large scale decentralisation effort; the aim being to spread the work of the central courts over a wider area. This is particularly evidenced in the London courts which Donohoe & Co frequently use and, whilst the new reforms mean that there are now more specialist family courts to choose from in the surrounding counties (and indeed nationwide), work progressing through the London courts should now be subject to fewer delays.

In a nutshell, the family justice measures brought in through the Children and Families Act 2014 include:

• The requirement that all parties must attend a family mediation, information and assessment meeting to learn about the option of mediation when applying for specific types of court order, unless an exemption applies.
• Sending a clear signal to separated parents that the court will take account of the principle that both parents should continue to be involved in their children’s lives whenever that is safe and consistent with the child’s welfare.
• Ensuring that expert evidence concerning children is only permitted when necessary to resolve the case justly, taking into account factors such as the impact that evidence may have on the welfare of the child.
• The introduction of a maximum 26 week time limit for the completion of care and supervision proceedings, with the possibility of extending that time limit in certain cases for up to 8 weeks at a time, should that be necessary to resolve the proceedings justly.

It is still too early to tell whether the new Act has achieved what it set out to, and what the wider impact of the new measures will be.

We will be giving our feedback on the new regulations via our regular news updates. If you want to know more about any of the areas we cover in our news articles, or if you need advice on a specific area of family law, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.