D-Day For Lawyers - Breaking Up Is Easy To Do

www.LawFuel.co.nz - NZ Law Jobs & News - Divorce lawyers call it D-Day: the Monday of the first full week back at work in the new year.

For couples whose marriages are on the rocks, first comes the Christmas break - then the new year break-up. And then, reports the Melbourne Age, the offices of family lawyers will be filled with the annual wave of broken hearts and bitter feelings.

Melbourne family lawyers agree with a recent survey of 100 British law firms that indicates tomorrow is Divorce Day. Lawfuel's own researches among the New Zealand legal market show that things are no different here, with an upsurge in dissolution instructions from unhappy couples.

Richard Calley, a Melbourne family lawyer for 27 years, has experienced it at his Melbourne practice.

"The first Monday after the school holidays and long weekends is always a peak time for new clients," Mr Calley said. "We might get six to eight calls for appointments in one day."

Marriage troubles came to a head over the summer break because couples found they could no longer ignore problems when forced to spend more time together, he said. "When couples don't see much of each other because they are at work all week, they can often tolerate any problems and survive. Holidays can be like the straw that broke the camel's back."

The holiday period can also be a positive time for struggling couples, according to Jane Vanderstoel from Relationships Australia. "Sometimes, spending time together helps couples rediscover their relationship," she said. "January is actually a quiet time for us. Most of our calls are in February, from couples who have made a new year's resolution to try again and want to start counselling."

Couples that do decide to divorce in the new year have not made the decision lightly, Ms Vanderstoel said. "They have usually tried for years to sort things out," she said. "Sometimes one more year just looks too difficult."

It is no surprise that middle-aged couples make up a high proportion of those deciding to divorce in the new year.

"Once children have flown the nest, partners are often less tolerant to each other's behaviour and more inclined to follow their own interests," Mr Calley said.

But the trend for post-holiday period divorces is not restricted to the middle-aged.

On January 5, Silverchair frontman Daniel Johns and singer-model-actress wife Natalie Imbruglia announced their intention to divorce, citing distance and career demands. The couple were married on New Year's Eve, 2003.

ENDS

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