Lawyer Says Spring Is Divorce Season

By Michelle Durham

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Statistics released from the online legal site "FindLaw" show that March is the top month for divorce filings. One local lawyer who specializes in divorce is not all surprised.

Daniel Reinherz is a case manager of Center City Law Firm Reinherz and Reinherz Law says there are several factors that contribute to this fact.

"First the obvious: people are getting their tax refunds. With a little extra money, they are able to do things that maybe weren't on the top of their priority list but still important to them, such as getting a divorce."

"Some other reasons that you may not have thought of are summer weddings. Think about it like this: you can't marry someone else until you are done with your divorce. Since the average "no fault divorce" takes three-to-five months. So, by filing now, you can schedule your summer wedding."

Reinhertz says many of the people he works with already moved on emotionally months or years before and now simply need to do the necessary paperwork to legalize their next relationship. Those "no fault" divorces can be managed quickly, whereas those in the "contested" variety will take a long time to negotiate.