• 11
  • February
    2011

Over the next week, people all over the country will be exchanging gifts, going out to eat at nice restaurants or spending time together as part of their Valentine's Day celebrations. However, it appears that not everyone will be enjoying time with their significant other. In fact, many will be heading straight to the county courthouse to file a divorce petition.

According to a recent report by Avvo.com - a website offering professional profiles for both attorneys and physicians - filings for divorce typically increase rather significantly around Valentine's Day.

"Over the past two years we've seen an average increase of 40 percent in the number of requests for divorce lawyers around Valentine's Day, compared to the previous six months," said Mark Britton, CEO and founder of Avvo.com. "Furthermore, the number of questions about divorce has soared 36 percent during that same time. Indeed there's definitely a major Valentine's Day spike when it comes to divorce."

Legal experts agree that there appear to be two categories of people who file for divorce around Valentine's Day:

  • The first group of people are those who made securing a divorce one of their New Year's resolutions, but for whatever reason, have thus far failed to take the necessary steps to end their marriage.
  • The second group of people are those whose marriages may be on the rocks and who are waiting for the outcome of the Valentine's Day weekend to determine whether or not they want to proceed with a divorce.

Interestingly, other legal experts offer more cynical explanations as to why the divorce rate is higher around Valentine's Day.

"We see a definite spike in divorce cases around Valentine's Day," said Cary Cheifetz, a New Jersey divorce attorney. "I see it as a combination of cabin fever, people waiting until after the holidays and most importantly, people waiting until they know what their spouse's bonus and income situation will be in the New Year."

If you have exhausted all of your options and would like to learn more about dissolution of marriage, you should strongly consider speaking with an experienced legal professional.

This post is provided for informational purposes only and is not to be construed as legal advice.

Stay tuned for more from our Denver family law blog ...

Related Resources:

Heartbreak! Divorce filings rise 40 percent around Valentine's Day: Study (The New York Post)