July, the month with the most divorces?

Barcelona"Will we go on vacation together knowing that this is no longer what we want?" Raquel Iglesias, vice-dean of the Notarial Association of Catalonia, believes that many couples ask themselves this question before deciding to formally separate. This would explain why July is the month with the most divorces registered in the country's notaries, where this type of amicable separation can be processed quickly.

According to data collected by the Notarial Association, in the last five years, July has been the month with the most divorces, with the sole exception of 2022. In July of last year, 263 were registered, a figure that represents 13% of the notaries issued for the entire year; in 2021, 198, 11% of the annual total.

Iglesias admits that couples who divorce at the notary's office don't always explain their reasons, but in all the cases he's seen throughout his career, he sees some common traits. "It's a time when there's more time for living together and family planning. During the school year or the work season, everyone follows their own pace; they see each other, but they're away from home for many hours. Plus, in the summer, people have more time for themselves, to start over, and that helps with making decisions like this," he says.

Another season that sees a lot of divorces, Iglesias explains, is the return from vacation. "Those who weren't entirely sure about it and haven't skipped a family vacation, if they didn't go well, file the paperwork when they get back," says the vice dean. "Taking into account the time it takes to find a lawyer and complete the paperwork, many end up doing it in October," she comments. In fact, October is the month that has most frequently held the second position for divorces registered at notaries for the last five years. Last year, 11% of divorces were finalized in October.

"More agile than getting married"

The data on marriages that are separated at notary offices reflect divorces that were by mutual consent and in which the couple had no children. The notary office is the fastest way to obtain a divorce and is "even more agile than getting married," the Association points out. Therefore, the separation can be formalized, if desired, immediately after making the decision.

On the other hand, if child custody is in dispute or a mutual agreement cannot be reached on how to divide the common property, the divorce must be resolved in court, where the procedure can drag on for months. Therefore, statistics from notary offices reflect the moment at which couples decided to separate much better than those from courts.

Statistics from the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ) do not break down divorce filings by month, but rather by quarter. In Catalonia, the quarter with the most filings last year was the first, with 4,274, followed by the fourth, with 3,942.