The Holiday Season. We all know what it is supposed to be about: relaxing, the joy of giving, family, and togetherness. That is what we all want for ourselves and for our families. The reality is that, for many of us – maybe most of us – our holidays won’t be much like that, no matter how hard we try. For couples or families that are experiencing marital problems, the holiday season poses a unique set of challenges.

All divorce lawyers know that they will get far fewer calls in the days and weeks leading up to Christmas and Hannukah. Understandably, even those of us who feel we have reached our breaking point want to avoid filing for divorce right before the holidays. No matter how difficult it is, we want to do whatever we can to make our family’s holiday as close to that Norman Rockwell ideal as possible.

The unfortunate irony is that the time that we most want to keep our family together – the holidays – is the time when it can be most challenging to do so. Setting aside whether they should be or not, let’s face it: the holidays are stressful. A marriage that is fraying already feels like about as much as we can bear, but, when the holidays come around, we also have to deal with the pressures of gift buying, relatives, and the rest. “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” can sound like a cruel joke.

But there are a few things to keep in mind: first, no matter how lonely you feel, you are not the only person feeling this way. Second, it’s OK if you are not able to give your family a perfect, Norman Rockwell Christmas. No one expects that of you, and, just as you would not expect that of anyone else, you should not expect it from yourself. Third, you will feel better once you have some information about your options, and there will be time to gather that information and explore those options AFTER the craziness of the holidays dies down.

We have years of experiencing helping people examine these options and determine what is best for themselves and their families. We would be happy to discuss these options with you. Give us a call at (734) 254-1140 to schedule a meeting over the phone or in our office.