Couples divorce after holidays, study says
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Wedding cake spouses turning their backs to each other for emerging problems (mofles)
George and Amal Clooney can breathe a sigh of relief: Their marriage is safe until spring.
Researchers at the University of Washington have found that if your marriage survives to September, you should be good for another six months.
Most divorces come after the winter holidays and summer vacation, the researchers say in a study to be presented Sunday at the American Sociological Association conference in Seattle.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}They analyzed divorce filings in Washington state between 2001 and 2015 and found most happened in March, followed by August.
“For a lot of people who are maybe dissatisfied with their marriages, they’re discontent, but they’re not quite sure what to do about it, the holidays are sort of an opportunity for things to kind of turn around,” study author Julie Brines, an associate sociology professor at Seattle University, told The Post.
If that doesn’t happen, unhappy spouses may feel ready to call it splits afterward. Filings increase in January and February until peaking in March, Brines says.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“A lot of this is more reactive than proactive,” she said. “It’s in response to what didn’t happen during the holidays.”
In Washington, the number of filings rose by about 40 percent from a low in December to the high in March.
As for the August filings, Brines notes that many families go on vacation in July, so couples may be holding off for a month.