More people start divorce proceedings in January than at any other time of the year, with many couples realising over the Christmas period that they’re no longer happy with their spouse.

The Independent highlighted figures from relationship charity Relate, which recorded a 24 per cent spike in calls about divorce in January last year, compared to the average month, with a similar jump expected over the coming weeks in 2018.

Figures from divorce support service Amicable also show that online searches for the term ‘divorce’ are expected to be high in January. After analysing data the organisation expects more than 40,500 people to search for this term in the coming weeks, the newspaper added.

Chris Sherwood, chief executive at Relate, told the publication why the charity gets so many more calls at the start of the year.

“The reality is that many of the calls we receive in January are from couples who are already at crisis point after existing relationship tensions have come to a head over Christmas,” he stated.

Mr Sherwood went on to urge any couples who are struggling to get on with their partner to seek help sooner rather than later.

In December, divorce expert Sara Davison shared advice with readers of the Express about how to avoid a relationship ending at this time of the year. Among her suggestions were to talk openly about how you’d like to celebrate Christmas, to be careful not to overspend and to make time to spend with each other.

If you are looking for divorce solicitors in Surrey, contact us today to find out how we can support you in this difficult time.