While the holiday season is supposed to be a joyous occasion for all, for those families where the stress level is already pretty high — both before and during the holidays — many spouses may now be questioning just how happy they are in their marriages and if they truly want to stay where they are in the New Year.
The holidays, with the expectation of family and togetherness, can also be a time of stress and reflection. Benna Strober, a licensed psychologist who focuses a great deal of her work on families who are in the process of divorce, recently published her viewpoints on why the holidays are the breaking point for many families.
Money troubles can add a strain to any marriage. Add to this the pressure to get the perfect gift — and just the financial worry that can come with having to provide for a family — and some may be wondering if it’s all worth it. Maybe being single would be easier?
Financial worries are not the only concern though. And, just as the holidays may make someone even more aware of their financial situation, the holidays can also make someone acutely aware of how they are treated in their marriage. Maybe the expectation is that mom will just handle all the cooking, cleaning, shuttling of in-laws and gift-wrapping? Or, maybe dad feels taken advantage of as he handles the burden of having to do all the gift shopping, food preparation and activity planning? Whatever the case may be, the holidays could be the breaking point when it comes to someone feeling strained and underappreciated.
The holidays and the approaching New Year are also a time of reflection for many. While watching holiday movies could certainly make one spouse question why their family does not seem as happy as the characters on the screen, just reflecting on the past year and thinking about the future could also lead to the realization that things are not going as planned. In talking about resolutions and hopes for 2016, it may all just become apparently evident that a divorce is looming.
Whatever the situation is that leads someone to contemplate ending a marriage, it is important for a wife or husband to realize that not only are they not alone, but that help is available. At Winter Spires & Associates, P.A., our lawyers assist with all aspects of divorce, from child custody to property division – and everything in between.
