Back to school – but not back together? Divorce and separation after the summer holidays
The post-summer & back to school period sees a rise in divorce enquiries. LGFL Director Rita Gupta explores how the pressures of summer holidays can break already fractured relationships.
Back to school - but not back together? Divorce and separation after the
summer holidays
There are two key points in the year when couples realise that they have irreconcilable differences and that their marriage of relationship is over - the first week of January and the first week of September.
Both are at the end of major holidays where couples and especially parents spend a lot of time together compared with the rest of the year. What had been minor disagreements or differences can quickly get heated in summer sunshine and 24/7 exposure to each other, as LGFL Director Rita Gupta explains.
The media love to label certain dates as “Divorce Days” or similar, but in truth there is no single date. A rise in enquiries at the end of the holidays is the next stage in a journey that usually began months or years ago, as relationships soured, or a couple started to drift apart.
Why do couples split after a holiday?
Summer holidays are sold as being fun-filled and relaxing, but they can be anything but. The pressure cooker atmosphere of a week or three away together with the kids in a hotel room can bring all a couple’s simmering tensions bubbling to the surface. That tension can also be fuelled by excess alcohol, the hassle of holiday arrangements, travel delays, and the reality not living up to expectations.
There is also the ever-increasing costs of almost every part of the holiday, from fun activities to ice creams. There is also the pressure for working parents of balancing childcare between themselves and other family members during the school holidays as a whole. For those without working flexibility or extended family support, childcare is a major expense. Again there are the additional costs of days out and family activities.
So, as the school holidays end and children return to school, we see new enquiries coming through. Often these people may have already been contemplating separation, but have seen the holiday as one last chance, or have not wanted to ruin the holiday for the children.
When should I file for divorce?
After the summer holidays, we all return back to ‘normal’ - back to work, the school run, higher bills and depressing news. What isn’t normal is the marriage or relationship is more fractured or has broken down completely.
Some couples will want to divorce immediately. Others will slide back into their usual lives, unhappy but unable to move forward because there they don’t seem to have the time or energy.
As one mother at Mumsnet posted: (3)
“I’m so worried that my resolve will fade once we’re back from this holiday and daily life kicks back in. How do I keep myself to my resolve, how to do I make myself go through with it?”
To both types of couples we recommend the same thing - seek professional legal advice as soon as possible. At LGFL we offer a reduced fee 60 minute consultation, usually within a couple of working days of you contacting us.
What can I achieve in a 60 minute divorce consultation?
Consulting a family lawyer now is an investment in your future happiness. An hour of your time now may help secure the future you want for you and your children for years ahead
A single consultation with one of our experienced Directors will help you understand the full implications of a divorce or separation. You can discuss your personal situation, and discover the various options to enable you to move forward.
Without that insight, it may take a further three unhappy months for you to decide it really is time to call it a day. Then you are faced with the emotional rollercoaster of Christmas and its impact on the whole family, and taking action may get delayed again.
Getting the right level of legal advice is crucial to understanding and planning how to move forward, and being able to live your life too.
If I come to you in September, can I be divorced by Christmas?
In a word, no. By law, the divorce process in England and Wales takes a minimum of 26 weeks (six months). It can take considerably longer if issues in the divorce or settlement are contested, and/or the courts are experiencing delays (which they currently are).
The mandatory divorce timeline is as follows:
- You make an initial application for divorce either as an individual or
jointly - You receive a confirmation of application and case number assigned
- You have a 20-week reflection period
- You apply for a conditional order (formally a decree nisi)
- You receive a conditional order certificate
- Once received, you must wait at least 43 days
- You can then apply for a final order to end the marriage
- Once the final order or decree absolute is granted, you are no longer legally married
There is no way to get through this process any faster than at least 26 weeks, and therefore there is no such thing as a quickie divorce.
The above timescale assumes that there are no disputes, disagreements, that the financial settlement and child arrangements progress smoothly and that the courts are not experiencing delays. In our experience the current timescale for a straightforward divorce that is not contested in any way is actually longer, at least 10 months.
According to the latest figures from the Family Courts, (at time of writing):
“In January to March 2025, the mean average time from application to conditional order was 42 weeks up 1 week from the same quarter of 2024. The mean average time from application to final order was 74 weeks (17 months), up 7 weeks from the equivalent quarter in 2024.” (1) Future timings may decrease as there was a 3% in the number of divorce applications in 2025 compared to the same quarter in 2024. However the rise in the number of other family cases, including financial remedy and domestic abuse, will increase demand on court time.
Shall I move out while I wait for my divorce or consultation?
We always advise clients to remain in the family home until they have taken legal advice, as moving out may adversely affect later outcomes for financial settlements, child arrangements, etc.
The exception is those experiencing domestic abuse. If you are experiencing domestic violence or abuse, the time to act is NOW.
- Call 999 and if possible, get yourself and your children to a place of safety.
- Call the National Domestic Violence Helpline 0808 2000 247 (women)
- Call the ManKind confidential helpline on 0808 800 1170 (men)
- Once you’re safe, contact us for professional legal advice on how to proceed.
For more on this, see our pages on:
Who pays the private school fees this term?
Deciding who will ultimately pay for private school fees will be part of your divorce financial settlement. The important point is that someone should pay for the fees now to ensure your children can return to school this coming term and there is no disruption to their education and routine.
For more info, see our 2024 article: “On the up? School fees and VAT”
Separated this summer holiday? Get in touch
To discuss your specific circumstances and requirements, even if you have already separated this summer, come and talk to use as soon as possible:
- Call us
- Email us
- Request your reduced fee consultation
About the author
Rita Gupta is Co-founder and Managing Director of family law firm LGFL Ltd, serving family law for clients in the Reading and Thames Valley area, across the UK and for international clients involved in UK divorce cases.
She has featured as a family law expert on national TV and radio, including BBC Radio 5 Live with Nicky Campbell, LBC, GB News with Darren McCaffrey and local TV and radio.
• Legal 500 Recommended Lawyer
• Listed in Chambers and Partners
• Listed Leading Lawyer at Wiselaw
• Member of Resolution