Irwin Mitchell, one of the leading national law firms in the field, saw these rises in January 2013 and would not be surprised if the pattern repeated itself in 2014. Specialists at the practice already have January appointments set up with people who have been considering the move for months.

Busiest period

Peter Morris of the firm's Leeds office said: 'It’s a sad fact that in January many divorce lawyers have their busiest period, but it is a myth that everyone who comes to see us has made a sudden decision to split over the Christmas holidays.  While there will be a number of distress calls from people who have suffered from problems such as extreme arguments and contact with children, the majority of people who contact us will do so calmly having been thinking about the decision for a while.' Source: Halifax Courier