A DERBY solicitor has seen a 300% increase for people wanting a divorce in just one month.
Moody and Woolley Solicitors in St Mary's Gate said January is the time when it sees the biggest increase in people coming forward wanting to separate.
Layla Babadi is a family law solicitor and partner at the firm and says one of the strangest reasons for a divorce was one clients wife's smelly feet.
Twenty people contacted the firm about wanting a divorce in December, and already that figure has reached 60 this month.
Mrs Babadi said: "January is easiest the busiest month for divorce lawyers for various reasons. It's the time when people think something should be done.
"From experience the clients want to have a happy Christmas and no animosity. But then they want a fresh start to the year and think a divorce is a good idea.
"I expect around 80 people to come forward by the end of the month and I think we would have instructed a divorce for around 40 of them. It will take longer for the rest of those.
"January is a time when it's time to do something about it. Also to start proceedings before Christmas would cause an atmosphere and would cause mixed messages in the family environment.
"People feel braver and New Year's resolutions could kick in. To have three times as many people coming to us is brilliant from our point of view but it's sad.
"I want to stress we will always talk to clients about resolutions and recollection, we don't just say get a divorce straight away."
She said after the first contact is made, around 90% of those couples go on and get a divorce and it's "quite rare" for proceedings to stop once they have contacted the firm.
Mrs Babadi said the firm offers more services than just as official solicitors.
She said: "We're here as a counselling service as well as a solicitor. Divorce and starting proceedings is such a huge thing for them to face alone.
"We expect February, March and April to be more stable months. But then in September it builds up again.
"This is because people want to start to sort things before the six weeks holidays. But they want the family to enjoy that time so won't start then.
"Children are one of the big deciding factors for when divorce proceedings are issued."
The reasons for a divorce being filed are split into different categories including unreasonable behaviour, adultery, two and five-year separation periods and desertion, which is when a partner has left without a good reason or agreement.
Mrs Babadi said 80% of the cases the company deals with are for unreasonable behaviour, and 10% each for adultery and a two-year separation period.
She said she vividly remembers one husband claiming the smell of his wife's feet was grounds for divorce a few years ago.
She said: "This man said his wife's smelly feet was a reason. It didn't go in the divorce petition but the divorce did go ahead."
