Should I wait until after the holidays to break up?

It depends.  There are many aspects to this question, including the legal, financial, practical, and emotional ones. The decision is highly personal.

To start with the legal aspect: There is rarely a “right” time to end your relationship and start the formal separation process. If it’s a matter of merely a week or two (before vs. after the holidays) then it may make little or no difference in terms of when your separation date might start.

Similarly, there may be little financial impact on the decision whether to wait until after the holidays, or pull the plug before. Practically, however, the decision to end before the holidays may make it more difficult to find suitable accommodation if one of you will be moving out, and the normal impact and cost of gift-buying, celebrating special meals, and lost time at work may be part of the equation for you.

Finally, from an emotional standpoint, there are several important factors to consider, and it’s really a balancing act between all of them. Some questions to ask yourself:

As you can see, there are many “moving parts” to the decision, and it’s one that only you can make.