Valentines’ Day: A Time for Romance….and….a Time for Divorce?
Traditionally, Valentines’ Day is connected to
“sweethearts” or “lovers” who exchange candy, jewelry and other gifts to
express and confirm their love for each other.
However, according to a recent study on divorce in which data was compiled
by Avvo.com, an organization that offers free ratings and lawyer profiles, the
time for love has also become a time for divorce.
Mark Britton, founder and CEO of Avvo,
reports, “Over the past two years we’ve seen an average increase of forty
percent (40%) in the number of requests for divorce lawyers around Valentines’
Day, compared to the previous six months.”
He goes on to say, “Furthermore, the number of questions about divorce
has soared thirty-six percent (36%) during that same time. Indeed, there’s definitely a major
Valentines’ spike when it comes to divorce.”
Kelly Chang Rickert, a divorce lawyer in Los
Angeles, California, acknowledges she has seen an increase in divorce filings
shortly after Valentines’ Day. She
categorizes the people who are filing as the “Delayed New Year’s Resoluters,” those
who are finally moving on—a month late-- with their resolutions to be single and
the “Waiting to Exhalers,” those individuals, depending on the actions of their
spouses on Valentines’ Day, will either reconcile their differences or file for
divorces.
Charlotte Christian, a family law attorney in
Huntsville and Athens, Alabama, acknowledges that not only does she see an
increase in the number of divorce clients she sees and the number of cases she
files during the Valentines’ Day holiday, but she also notes an increase in the
number of restraining orders connected with domestic violence as some individuals
desire to “get their ex’s back” during Valentines’ week and often resort to
extreme measures to achieve their goals.
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