There’s no question that the COVID-19 pandemic has put serious strain on many relationships, and one Canadian lawyer says the rate of people inquiring about divorce has skyrocketed in the new year.

Russell Alexander, a family lawyer in Toronto, told Global News his firm was “flooded” with calls last week from people looking for more information about leaving their spouse.

Russell Alexander Collaborative Family Lawyers saw 68 per cent more inquiries between Jan. 3 and 7 than it did during its previously set record, which occurred last July.

Alexander says the first Monday of January is known in the industry as “Divorce Day” — typically the day when the phones start ringing after the holiday season. However, the reasons for divorce inquiries are shifting as quickly as the trajectory of the pandemic itself, he says.

Russell Alexander’s family law firm saw a big spike in divorce inquiries during the first week of 2022. Russell Alexander’s family law firm saw a big spike in divorce inquiries during the first week of 2022. Courtesy / Russell Alexander “This pandemic is throwing us a new curveball every three or four months.

“At the beginning of the pandemic, people were experiencing a lot of cabin fever, too much time with their spouse. It was similar to what we see with some newly retired couples who are all of a sudden spending a lot more time with their spouse — they come to the realization, ‘Hey, I don’t really like this person that much,’” he told.

“But now, some of those reasons are shifting. Parents are divided on vaccinations or whether the children should be going to school during a pandemic. These are some of the issues now.” – Global News