At the beginning of every year you see the same old stories appearing in the media and declaring unequivocally that January is ‘Divorce Month’, when more divorces are filed than at any other time of year. But is there actually any truth in it? The short answer, unfortunately, is yes. Research carried out by various law firms has found much evidence to support it.

One found that 1 out of every 5 couples plan to separate following one final Christmas together as a family, whereas all solicitors report a rise in the number of divorce instructions in January compared to the rest of the year’s monthly average, often an increase of between 25 and 30%.

What is it about Christmas that spells the end for so many couples?

Many people may be familiar with the strains that Christmas has on your average family. Even if you’re the most content family unit and the