Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Old acquaintances apparently should be forgot - shedding a spouse is right up there with losing weight when it comes to New Year's resolutions.
Top divorce lawyers say they're braced for a spike in calls that will start today and last all month from men and women who want to ring in the new year by bringing the curtain down on their marriages.
"In January, people are returning gifts and recycling husbands," said Los Angeles divorce lawyer Gloria Allred.
"It's [that] all year the fault lines are showing underneath the surface and in January it explodes," she said.
Sharon Sooho, divorce lawyer and co-founder of Divorcenet.com, quoted her law partner's belief that the top two New Year's resolutions are "lose 20 pounds and . . . lose the jerk."
"Tuesday is one of the biggest days of one of the biggest months for divorce lawyers because people are following up on their New Year's resolutions to make themselves happy," the New England attorney said yesterday.
"It really comes on the heels of a lot of soul-searching, thought and struggle," she said. "You see that baby wrapped in a diaper. [You think] the new year is young and that's a second chance in life and I should grab it."
New York divorce lawyer Suzanne Bracker says she believes the top cause of divorce is infidelity - and the holiday season may be when people discover their partners' hanky-panky.
jeane.macintosh@nypost.com
Copyright 2004 NYP Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
