The back-to-school season is among the most common times for divorce in New Jersey.

USAToday recently reported on the spike in summer divorces. And, according to a study presented in 2016 at the American Sociological Association, March and August is the most popular time of year for divorce.

Researchers have long blamed holiday stress and the impetus of the New Year for the surge of early spring divorces. Having children home for the summer and summer vacations can result in similar stress or can simply result in a decision to split at the start of the school year.

Our Middlesex County divorce lawyers do see more couples choosing to split before the holidays and at the start of the school year. Few couples divorce during the holidays, making August and September, when kids return to school, the most common time of year for divorce aside from the first of the year.

More important than when you divorce is the commitment to making a divorce plan.

Divorcing Before the Holidays

You are best served by consulting an experienced divorce lawyer in Middlesex County well before you inform your spouse of your plans to split. Unless dealing with abuse, you will typically not be best served by announcing your intentions to divorce and storming out the door (in fact you could be giving up significant property rights and putting yourself at a disadvantage when it comes to child custody issues).

The USA Today reports parents will be best served by proper planning before notifying children and school systems of plans to divorce or of alternate living arrangements. When it comes to child custody issues, New Jersey family law court will always look to what is in the best interest of the child. This often equates to minimizing disruption in a child’s life.

Divorces with children will require a parenting plan. Parents are encouraged to work together (and with their legal counsel) to come to agreement on such plans, without court intervention. Working to establish plans (including separate households) in such a way as to minimize disruption of a child’s life, including schooling, will be of critical importance to the court.

The start of the school year is often a time parents can find the time to have such private conversations. When a relationship with a spouse has become too strained, it is the job of your Middlesex divorce attorney to facilitate a plan while protecting your rights at each stage of the process.

While some uncontested divorces can be wrapped up in 3-4 months, contested divorces may range from 6 months to one year. In some cases it may be in a party’s best interest not to rush through a divorce before the holidays. The most important thing is to seek qualified advice and plan carefully.

Call Rozin|Golinder Law, LLC today for a free and confidential consultation.