January Known as 'Divorce Month'

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - January is known for new beginnings. But it turns out one of the resolutions some couples are making is to get out of their marriages.

Why is January known as "divorce month?"

It’s estimated that 24,000 divorces are granted in Arizona every year. Many of them decided to untie the knot in January. It's not just the rich and famous who are calling it quits.

“I’d say I probably get twice as many filings in January as any other month,” says Keith Berkshire, a family law attorney with Rose Law Group.

Berkshire says many who file for divorce this month were planning it for some time. They just don't want to upset the families before the holidays.

“I do see people where the holidays are the final straw. Unfortunately I’ve heard, ‘I don’t want to be with that person for one more year, I can’t stand their relatives, my in-laws for one more year,’” he says.

Outside the courts in downtown Phoenix, we ran into a young man heading to family court.

“I’m actually here to do my divorce,” says Jesus Medrano.

Medrano says he's not surprised divorce filings spike in January.

“Everybody’s doing their taxes and using their tax money to get the divorce… didn’t have the money through the year, now I got it, and now I’m finalizing my divorce,” he says.

Berkshire says finances often play heavily into a decision to file for a divorce the first month of the year.

“Since when you file for divorce, that’s what terminates the community, then all your income from that point on is separate property. So that’s a good point to break your finances and break everything else.”

Medrano says he's very happy he's getting divorced today.

Another factor? The economy, says Berkshire.

He says some married couples who were waiting to see if the economy rebounded to sell their house are realizing their home values aren't coming back anytime soon -- and are deciding divorce now and move on.