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Family solicitor Grant Stephens identifies increased device privacy, new attention to finances, avoidance of future plans, emotional distance and a stronger focus on independence as behaviors that can appear before a separation. He says these are possible signs, not proof, and advises people to seek support and consider practical matters, with children’s welfare a priority where relevant.
A family solicitor has identified five behaviors that may accompany thoughts of divorce, including increased privacy around devices, new attention to finances and growing emotional distance. In a MadeForMums feature, Grant Stephens, managing director of Grant Stephens Family Law, cautioned that such changes are possible indicators, not confirmation that a partner plans to separate.
Stephens said the signs can be subtle and may become noticeable over time rather than through a major argument or sudden announcement. The five behaviors he described are greater secrecy with phones or other devices; an unusual interest in accounts or joint finances; reluctance to make plans for the year ahead; emotional withdrawal or increased irritability; and a new focus on individual routines, hobbies or friendships.
He said device privacy is not necessarily evidence of an affair: someone may be researching legal options or speaking privately with others. Questions about joint finances or opening a bank account may reflect preparation for financial separation, he said, while avoiding future plans can suggest uncertainty about the relationship. None of those behaviors, on its own, establishes what a person intends to do.
In the feature, Stephens advised people who recognize concerning patterns to consider addressing the issues, seeking legal advice or talking with trusted people. Where children are involved, he said their welfare should be central to decisions. He also pointed to practical matters such as finances, the home and other shared assets.
How to Read Relationship Changes
The list may help readers put words to changes they have noticed, but treating it as a diagnostic checklist could lead to mistaken conclusions. Privacy, financial questions or new interests can have many explanations, and the feature does not provide evidence that these behaviors predict divorce or establish a person’s intentions.
For parents, uncertainty about a relationship can also raise practical questions about children, housing and shared money. Stephens’s advice is to consider those issues and seek appropriate support rather than assume that a partner’s behavior has one definite meaning. The report stresses that children’s welfare should remain central if a separation is being considered.
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January Divorce Enquiry Claims
The MadeForMums feature links its advice to a reported seasonal pattern, describing January 6 as “National Divorce Day” and saying divorce enquiries and searches often rise after the festive period. It attributes the pattern to reflection after Christmas and New Year, when family pressures, finances and emotional strain may feel more pronounced.
The article says searches for “how to get a divorce” reached 3,600 in January 2024 and that the pattern repeated in January 2025. It does not provide a source for those search figures, explain the dataset or give a comparison baseline. Stephens separately said his law firm often sees more enquiries around January; that is his account of the firm’s experience, not a measure of national divorce filings.
“A sudden need for privacy, especially if it hasn’t been an issue before, can be an early sign that something is changing.”
— Grant Stephens
What These Signs Cannot Establish
The feature does not cite research showing how often the five behaviors precede divorce, nor does it establish that any one behavior predicts separation. It also does not give details about the source or method behind the January search figures. It remains unknown whether a particular partner is considering divorce unless they say so or take concrete steps; the signs described are observations offered by one family solicitor.
The report’s seasonal claims refer to searches and enquiries, which are not the same as divorce applications or completed separations. Its January 2025 description is not accompanied by a number, and the source provides no later figures. The current scale of any seasonal rise cannot be determined from the information supplied.
Steps for Concerned Partners
Stephens’s suggested responses are to address relationship concerns, seek legal advice where appropriate and speak with trusted people. Those steps do not require assuming that divorce is certain. A direct conversation may clarify what a partner is thinking, although the feature does not prescribe how or when to have one.
For couples with children or shared property, the next questions may include how to protect children’s wellbeing and understand finances, housing and other assets. The source does not announce a follow-up investigation or provide a date for updated search or enquiry data, so any broader January trend remains unverified here.
Key Questions
What five behaviors does the solicitor describe?
They are increased privacy around devices, unusual attention to finances, avoiding future plans, emotional distance or irritability, and a stronger focus on separate hobbies, routines or friendships.
Do these behaviors prove a partner is planning to divorce?
No. Stephens presents them as possible signs, not proof. Each behavior may have other explanations, and the feature does not cite evidence that the list predicts divorce.
What did the report say about January searches?
MadeForMums reported 3,600 searches for “how to get a divorce” in January 2024 and said the pattern repeated in January 2025. It did not identify the dataset or provide the 2025 figure or a comparison baseline.
What does the solicitor advise if someone is worried?
Stephens suggests addressing concerns, getting legal advice if needed and reaching out to trusted people. He says children’s welfare should be central when families consider separation.
Source: rss
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