Previous ONS figures for 2017 found the divorce rate was highest for men aged 45-49 and women aged 40-44, which Relate relationship counsellor Gurpreet Singh suggested was because couples had reached the stage in their life when "all the distractions have finished".
He told the Standard: "You reach that stage of life when you have the money, the children have left home and you don't know if it is the person you want to spend your days with.
"The relationship is now just the two of you and this is why people end up in arguments."
People are waiting until they are older before they get divorced
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What is the most common reason for divorce?
According to the ONS figures, unreasonable behaviour was cited as the most common reason for both heterosexual and same-sex divorce.
Around 46.3 per cent of couple petitioned on these grounds in opposite-sex marriages, while 76.2 per cent of same-sex couples divorced for this reason.
Why do so many people file for divorce in January?
Mr Singh said: "Any post-holiday break, when you get a period of intense time with each other, you start to wonder if you belong together.
"Anxieties come up and you get time to think and evaluate, and you come up wanting to work things out. People have different views and they end up in arguments."
Not only does January fall after a holiday period, but Christmas is also a stressful time, which Mr Singh said can make trivial comments escalate into arguments.
He said: "Your argument might start with the dishes before escalating to 'you never listen to me'. All you need is a trigger for it to escalate.
"You end up evaluating when you have a bit more time to yourself. Most of the time you're taking care of things rather than wondering what's next in your life."
How to avoid a relationship breakdown over Christmas
Relate has issued a seven-point list to help you avoid any fallouts over the festive break, including cutting back on alcohol, sharing the workload and making time for yourself and your partner.
Budgets are important to stick to as is communication, with Mr Singh saying that "listening is the operative word".
