Breaking up for summer

Release date: 29/5/2009

Summer holidays are traditionally a time for rest and relaxation when families take a welcome break from the daily grind and spend precious time together.

But a fortnight in the sun together may not necessarily good for all relationships, as summer, along with Christmas, is the period when rocky marriages are most likely to fall apart. A peak in the divorce rate is fairly understandable at Christmas, when people often have unrealistically high expectations for a stereotypical happy holiday, drink more than usual and are cooped up indoors together, often with parents and in-laws. For under-pressure marriages, this situation can be a powder keg.

Katherine Marshall, a family lawyer at Harvey Ingram, says the summer period can be equally as stressful.

She adds: "On the face of it a fortnight away would look to be helpful for couples, providing time and space to talk through any problems they might have. For some though, suddenly spending a lot of time with their partner has quite the opposite effect and can often aggravate and highlight existing relationship problems. Sitting down for a meal together may start an analysis of the relationship, and with the added impact of alcohol, matters may come to a head."

It is not only married couples for whom summer can spell the end of the line. The trend in the divorce rate has changed very little in recent years, although a high percentage of the new referrals now seen are co-habitees. Disputes regarding children are also more prominent at this time of year, regardless of their parents' marital status.

There are often quite a lot of last minute disagreements over children as the school holidays approach. Parents who are splitting up often argue about contact arrangements and plans which involve taking the children away.