New year starts with spike in divorces

PHOENIX - While you may be struggling to abide by your News Year’s resolutions, many Arizonans are sticking strong to one: Divorce.

January is usually a very busy month for attorneys, as thousands of people have made it through the holidays and want to start the year with a clean slate.

“Our situation was very much [at] the first of the year this is going to be done,” said Stephanie Hamilton, who has been married for three years and filed for divorce Tuesday morning.

According to the most recent statistics from the Arizona Department of Health Services, January had the highest number of divorces in Arizona in 2009 with 2,121. There were 23,140 divorces and annulments granted for that year.

“January is always a busy time,” said Joe Flitner with Agreement House, a company based in Gilbert that can help end marriages peacefully. “It comes after that holiday stretch where people are trying to be civil. They’re still trying to be civil but now they realize that now is the time to get a divorce.”

Lawyers cite many reasons as to why there is a spike in divorces after the holiday season. They see many clients who stay together for the kids, can’t afford a divorce before the year ends, or simply start to realize they need a fresh start.

“I think most people set their resolutions and want to move forward with the New Year,” said Amber Guyman, an attorney who deals with family issues.

This is exactly what Hamilton is doing. She stuck it out through the holidays for her 3-year-old son and is now moving on from her marriage of three years.

“We both get to start our lives over,” Hamilton said. “It’s a new chapter of our lives for ourselves and our son.”