Now that the holidays are over, many here in Buffalo and across New York are looking forward to letting life get back to normal. As great as the holiday season can be, it can also be stressful and family tension often peaks in December.

But for a significant number of unhappy couples, the month of January will not bring a return to normality. In fact, there is much statistical and anecdotal evidence to suggest that January is the most popular time to file for divorce.

There may be no one reason why January has established itself as "Divorce Month," but there have been a number of theories put forth by divorce professionals. One certified divorce consultant notes that many parents in failing relationships don't want to ruin the holidays for their children.

She says: "What I hear from my clients is that they were struggling with the marriage before the holiday season . . . so they commit to giving the kids one last happy holiday as an intact family. By January, if it's still not working, they know it's time to move on."

Others believe that January divorce filings are often spurred by New Year's resolutions. Many unhappy couples want to make a fresh start after the New Year, especially if the holiday season was particularly contentious or strained.

January may be known as Divorce Month, but it is important to remember that divorce can and does happen all year round. Therefore, there is no need for struggling couples to file in January simply because it seems like the popular thing to do.

As the founder of an online divorce community writes, "It's important to divorce at the time that's psychologically best for you. For most couples, the 'best' time is when they know they've done everything they could have done to make it work."

Source: The Huffington Post, "January: More Divorces Than Any Other Month?" Meghan Beresford, Jan. 4, 2011