The reasons people get divorced are numerous and emotionally complex, or there could be a single major reason that invokes one bad mass of emotions that make the marriage unsalvageable. In any case, a marital split is always difficult, but there is still good reason to approach the matter strategically.
This holiday season, Texans who are planning a divorce may want to consider the timing of their filing. A recent article from Reuters points out some concerns about filing divorce papers around the New Year.
For instance, when it comes to this year’s holiday shopping and the use of credit cards, it may be better to wait to move forward with a divorce until after the holidays. It isn’t unheard of that an angry spouse will go wild with retaliatory credit-card spending after being given divorce papers, but that risk may be compounded during the holidays. If that situation is a real concern, then it’s probably better to wait until next year.
Consider also that divorces, especially when property division and children are involved, can take a year if not more to settle. So when you think of the psychological impact of filing divorce papers in December, you could be looking at a divorce process that spans two calendar years. Maybe you want 2013 or 2014 to be a kind of fresh start.
Divorce filings during the holidays can also put a serious damper on family traditions, and many spouses wouldn’t soon forget that kind of disruption. Again, in retaliation, the divorce process itself could be prolonged by a spouse whose holiday season was ruined.
There are also tax and other financial concerns that come with the timing of a divorce. To learn about the legal process of ending a marriage, please visit our Fort Worth divorce site. Our firm handles a wide variety of divorce issues, including mediation, child support, spousal support and more.
Source: Reuters, “Considering divorce? Good reasons to wait for January,” Geoff Williams, Dec. 21, 2012
