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Do Family Vacations Ultimately Lead to Divorce?

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If you are thinking that a fun family vacation over the summer or the upcoming winter might be the perfect thing to fix your marital woes, you might want to think again. Sociologists at the University of Washington have completed an in-depth study that concluded more divorces tend to be filed in March and August than any other months in a year; winter and summer holiday seasons officially end in those two months, indicating the strong link between divorce and family vacations. The researchers looked at divorcing filings in the Washington State between 2001 and 2015, giving them a respectable sample size for their work.

Is Something Wrong with Family Vacations?

The research does not indicate that family vacations are necessarily the cause of divorce. After all, buying a ticket to Disneyworld or sitting out on the beach for a day never spoiled a marriage. Instead, it seems to show that if a marriage is rocky already, the tension, stress, and turbulence common to road trips, travel, and tight spaces with family can push people over the line and make them decide “enough is enough.”

Feelings of disappointment could be exacerbated if the divorce filer thought that the vacation would patch up their relationship. A week in Paris sure sounds like it would re-spark romance, so why didn’t it? That frustration can be too much and give someone the motivation they had been looking for to call for the marriage’s end.

There is also speculation that the holiday season might be pushing back winter divorces into March. People intentionally hold off until the holidays are completed so they don’t risk “ruining” the season for their children. By the time they get their paperwork and finances in order, it is already a couple months later. Valentine’s Day also falls squarely in the middle of February, and reluctant divorcés may also see that as their spouses “last shot” to make them happy again.

Compassionate Support Year-Round

At Malinowski Hubbard, PLLC, our Fairfax divorce attorneys are solely devoted to family law cases. We can assist you with your divorce from filing to finality, no matter what time of year it may be. Contact us online to ask for a consultation or more information about our services.

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