A New Year Means an Increase in Divorces

January is known as "Divorce Month" among lawyers as couples file for divorce in the first month of the year more than they do any other time of year.

Meghan Beresford of YourTango.com points out that statistics published by eDivorcePapers.com confirms "Divorce Month" is real in terms of the number of legal breakups that occur in January.

According to certified divorce consultant Cathy Meyer, the reason January sees the most divorce figures isn't all surprising:

"What I hear from my clients is that they were struggling with the marriage before the holiday season. If they have children, the holidays are supposed to be a magical time, so they commit to giving the kids one last happy holiday as an intact family. By January, if it's still not working, they know it's time to move on."

Founder of online divorce community BounceBack.com Courtney Stovall says that while January is known as "D-Day," it's equally important to focus on the cases that occur in the less popular months:

"Statistically, sure--several studies have come out that show that January has the highest divorce numbers, and it's probably good for those who choose to end their marriages in January to know that they're not alone. But the sad reality is that every month is 'divorce month.'"

There's even such a thing as "Divorce Day," which falls on the first monday after New Year's Day. Check out the Fox video below for more on "Divorce Day."