Divorce applications vary seasonally. They are more frequent in August and March. The sign of a disappointment linked to the holidays, according to sociologists.
At the end of August, the “back to school” shelves fill the supermarkets. The courts could also refuel. August would indeed be a good time for divorce, suggests a study from the University of Washington (United States). Presented at annual congress from the American Sociological Association (ASA), which is being held from August 20 to 23 in Seattle (United States), it reports a biennial peak in separations. It follows the summer and winter holidays.
A period of optimism
Some 120,000 couples separate each year in France, according to INSEE. This decision seems to follow a seasonal rhythm, given the conclusions of the team of American sociologists. She reviewed the divorce applications filed in Washington State between 2001 and 2015. The mass of documents is much higher in March and August.
Researchers see a link with the closest holidays: at Christmas and during the summer season. Before these periods, the partners are rather optimistic. “People tend to increase their hopes as the holidays approach, despite the disappointments they have experienced over the years,” analyzes Julie Brines who presented this work. The holidays would then be an opportunity to make a new start.
Fatal Mars
But hope quickly gives way to realism. During the rest period, expectations are not met. As of August, American couples therefore prefer to separate. The delay is noticeably longer after December: it is only in March that a peak appears. Time needed to find a lawyer, to straighten out the accounts.
For the authors, the month of March is not trivial. This is also the time when suicides are on a significant rise. This phenomenon is explained by the lengthening of the days: it would tend to favor the passage to the act. The same mechanism could apply to divorce petitions.
.