Christmas is the most dangerous time of the year for family harmony.
Marriages break up at Christmas.
The divorce year starts in earnest in February.
We deal with mature relationships – these are not people breaking their marriages on a whim. They have had 10, 20, 30 years together (my oldest client was 85!).
It is a sad irony that, when asked about hard work and why they do it, the answer is very often “to provide great Christmases and great holidays*!”
So, are there any tips for a happy Christmas when one of the parties knows that the marriage is a bit rocky?
Answer: Make an appointment with our Birmingham Divorce Solicitors to discuss the problems BEFORE Christmas.
Any decent lawyer would discuss the causes for the breakdown and how to avoid problems over the holiday period.
That same lawyer would sketch out the horrors of the divorce process – emotional, financial and collateral damage [friendships fracture, extended families take sides …] That discussion is sometimes enough to divert our potential client to marriage guidance counsellors (Relate as it is unfortunately called).
If the marriage really is unsaveable, then the visit to a divorce lawyer will be reassuring to at least one party. They know what is in store and can proceed with the family Christmas with relief and with certainty of the way ahead. Often, they then relax and, surprisingly, discover the marriage isn’t as bad as they thought!
But it is a very long time to be stuck at home with the family.
However, Covid has trained us for that, so the 10 days of Christmas isn’t going to seem very much compared with the months of Covid lockdown.
* The second most cited cause of breakdown of marriage.
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