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When is the best time of day to ask for a divorce?

On Behalf of | Sep 9, 2021 | Divorce

Over the years, there have been many different months that legal analysts have coined as “divorce month.” One of the latest theories is that January is when the most divorces occur. Why? Most analysts argue it has to do with couples realizing that they’re no longer compatible among all the holiday togetherness. Other legal analysts argue that it has to do with taxes and wrapping up one year as a joint filer and starting the new one as an individual one.

While it seems there are trends as to when couples file to end their marriages, you may wonder if there are any trends related to when spouses can ask for a divorce and expect to reach a receptive husband or wife. It turns out, there are better times than others.

How does the timing of requests impact the outcome?

Researchers Israel determined that judges are more likely to honor petitioner’s requests earlier during their workday. They found that the court’s decisions become more unfavorable as the day drags on, with two exceptions. There’s a small window immediately following lunch and then another right before the end of a judge’s workday in which they return to making decisions that are pro-petitioner.

While the Israeli study didn’t specifically have anything to do with divorce, but instead a judge’s decision-making in criminal cases, the data compiled is valuable. It backs up more anecdotal information that has long circulated about how a full stomach enhances a person’s approachability, thoughtfulness and perhaps empathy.

This insight may help you when you’re trying to decide when to approach your spouse about divorce. You may find that doing so after breakfast or lunch is best. Of course, every person and situation is different. But it’s fairly intuitive that when we are hungry, we are not at our best. There is even the colloquialism “hangry” to describe how we get cranky and angry when overly hungry. It can often feel like no time is right to have some of life’s most challenging conversations, but you might just find it worthwhile giving one of these more amenable times a shot just in case there’s some method to the madness, as this research suggests.

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