Feeling a little stressed out today? You're not alone! It turns out that January 5th is the most stressful day of the year, at least according to researchers who blame the angst on a combination of post-vacation blues, cold weather, economic worry, and having to endure a long first day back in the office with really, really irritating co-workers. These "experts" recommend releasing the anger with a "short sustained burst of shouting," but if you're looking for a more office-appropriate stress reliever, focus on the bright side and take heart in the fact you haven't gotten dumped yet. Attorneys say they're expecting to see a sharp increase in divorces this week due to the "double whammy of Christmas and the credit crunch."

The next time someone tells you you're high maintenance, point them in the direction of Marie Douglas-David, the estranged wife of United Technologies chairman George David. The Swedish countess and former employee of Lazard Asset Management is asking her elderly husband—he's three decades her senior—to cough up $53,000 a week to pay for her living expenses, including $8,000 for travel, $4,500 for clothing, and $600 for weekly flower deliveries. (Oh, and she'd also like to hang on to the couple's 10,000-square-foot penthouse at 740 Park Avenue.) It's reassuring to hear that the economic meltdown hasn't disrupted everyone's spending habits. We were beginning to worry! [NYP]

• Both Katie Holmes and Nicole Kidman have active cases of herpes, reports Page Six, something you should probably keep in mind in the event either woman tries to plant a kiss on you. [P6]
• William H. Macy will take over for Jeremy Piven in Speed-the-Plow now that the Pivster has overdosed on sushi and will need to take time off to cleanse his sacred temple from mercury. [NYP]
• Marci Klein, SNL producer and daughter of Calvin, is calling it quits with her husband of eight years, Scott Murphy. [P6]

"It's a holiday miracle," reports the Post: Ron Perelman and Pat Duff, participants in the nastiest divorce case New York has seen in decades, have settled their dispute over custody of the couple's daughter, Caleigh. Full details of the resolution haven't been released just yet, but the judge did disclose that "part of the settlement included all three continuing to see court-arranged therapists." Ron Perelman has a shrink? And you thought you had the worst job in the world! [NYP]

Remember Tricia Walsh-Smith, the former wife of theater mogul Philip Smith, and the woman who became an internet sensation when she took to YouTube to recount her messy divorce and her former husband's fondness for Viagra and porn movies? Tricia came to mind when we read the news last night that Philip Smith was named the new chairman of the Shubert Organization, "perhaps the single most powerful position in the theatrical world." The promotion suggests the tabloid frenzy earlier this year didn't put much of a dent in Smith's professional rep, something he was clearly concerned about when the couple appeared in court this summer. (The judge said Tricia's YouTube videos represented "a calculated and callous campaign to embarrass and humiliate her husband.") But we thought we'd check in with Tricia and gather her thoughts on her ex-husband's big promotion. Here's what she had to say via email a few moments ago.

They said it wouldn't last, and, well, it didn't. After repeatedly denying her marriage was on the rocks, Ivana Trump issued a statement this morning confirming that she and Italian playboy Rossano Rubicondi are divorcing. Ivana actually says she filed for legal separation three months ago, which means the couple was together for just four months following their lavish nuptials at Mar-a-Lago back in April. (This also sets a new record for the former wife of the Donald: Her second marriage to Riccardo Mazzucchelli lasted a full 20 months.) So what caused the split between the 59-year-old grandmother and her 35-year old third husband? It was just a matter of geography, apparently. Ivana says Rubicondi wanted to "live in Miami and work in Milan," but she's a New Yorker who would rather go to "Miami for weekends, and Milan to see friends and go shopping." And, really, how could a couple survive something as serious as that?

A few weeks ago, it was reported that Julian Schnabel was stepping out on his wife, Olatz, with Palestinian author Rula Jebreal. Cindy Adams reports today that the artist/filmmaker put his mistress up in his Palazzo Chupi, "maybe a floor away from the missus." You'll undoubtedly be shocked to hear that both Julian and Olatz have now retained divorce lawyers. [NYP]

Remember Fred Tanne, the lawyer who sued his estranged wife (along with her alleged lover and father) for giving him herpes? Bad news: The STD test results are in and it turns out that Fred and Amy (left) do, indeed, have herpes. The problem is that they don't have the same type of herpes, which means Fred didn't contract it from his wife. Awkward day at the offices of Kirkland & Ellis! [Above the Law]

We hear all is not well with Times reporter Alex Kuczynski and her husband of six years, financier Charles Stevenson. Rumor has it the Times journalist and reformed plastic surgery junkie is contemplating a divorce from the billionaire mogul, who is nearly 25 years her senior (and who has been married four times). Although there's been no official word of the split as of yet, Kuczynski has maintained a low profile in recent weeks. While she's probably rather busy these days now that she's a new mom—Kuczynski and Stevenson had a baby boy via a surrogate back in April—friends were surprised when she backed out of a scheduled appearance last week at a Diane von Furstenberg-sponsored spelling bee benefit that she usually attends every year. She's also been noticeably absent from the pages of the Times the last few months. Perhaps fittingly, her most recent article in the paper in early October was a book review of Alec Baldwin's book, A Promise to Ourselves: A Journey Through Fatherhood and Divorce. "Divorce is a lonely business," Kuczynski wrote. "Divorce is hell. Lawyers are vultures."

Looks like it's the end of the line for financier Henry Silverman and his wife Nancy. David Patrick Columbia hears the former Blackstone honcho and Realogy CEO is splitting up with his wife to "taste the wines of youth," if you catch his drift. "This would be, I would imagine, a very expensive divorce." [NYSD]

For the very wealthy, losing your shirt now has a potential new benefit: You can finally get divorced without your partner walking away with a comfortable settlement! Says one lawyer: "I've had several clients come to me recently and say, 'I've wanted to get divorced for years but didn't want to give up half of my business. Now that my business is not worth anything, wouldn't it be a good time to do it?'" Isn't human nature delightful? [Time]

Madonna and filmmaker Guy Ritchie are divorcing, according to Madonna's publicist, Liz Rosenberg. The couple is now asking the media to "maintain respect for their family at this difficult time." (Good luck with that.) And the announcement is not expected to disrupt Madge's touring schedule. She performs tonight and tomorrow in Boston. [AP]

Peter Cook turned up on 20/20 last Friday to explain why he's not the "scumbag pervert that he's been painted to be," and explain why his marriage to Christie Brinkley devolved into a mess of epic proportions last summer. Cook says the dispute had nothing to do with money, he only cheated on her because he was "seeking a connection he wasn't getting at home," and that he's not really addicted to porn. Also: He has a brand new girlfriend, Suzanne Shaw, who his kids get along fantastically well with. We're sure. A clip of the encounter is to your left.

Here's a curious byproduct of the weak housing market: Divorce rates may end up going down since some couples in the process of splitting up don't have enough money for two separate homes. Now they can remain under the same roof (and exchange nasty put-downs) while they wait for the recession to run its course. [Miami Today via TBS]

Something to bear in mind when you're deciding how much to spend on an engagement ring: Etiquette and tradition notwithstanding, courts usually say that the ring should go back to the buyer in the event that the wedding gets called off. Not that some people are deterred from clinging on to a valuable bauble, though, like Sharon Bush (left), W's former sister-in-law, who famously refused to return the 11-carat, $243,040 canary diamond ring that the late investor Gerald Tsai proposed to her with, even after he filed suit to get it back.

These three women were all once married to prominent local politicians. Know who they are? Answers after the jump.

Here's a trend that has yet to catch on in New York: In Tokyo, a handful of companies will seduce your husband and document the entire thing, just so you have all the evidence you need to take him to the cleaners in a divorce. How much does such entrapment cost? $20,000 (plus expenses) for a four-month "investigation." [Times UK]

And you thought your marriage has problems? A roundup of some of New York's nastiest divorces. [Page Six Magazine]

We're sorry to learn today of the troubles afflicting George Lazenby and Pam Shriver, the one-time James Bond and tennis champion (er, respectively) whose six-year marriage has dissolved into a mess of abuse, dental and toddler drunkenness. At least that's the account handed down in papers filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, which also granted Shriver temporary custody of their three young children and a restraining order based on threats Lazenby allegedly made against his estranged wife. But for those 007-ophiles who shrug off the one-film Lazenby era urging good riddance and the rejoinder that there are no second acts in American life, a closer look at the marital discord in fact proves that the On Her Majesty's Secret Service star couldn't ask for a more stirring, villainous comeback vehicle:

If you're Ellen Barkin, you just place a call to Christie's and the jewelry your ex-husband gave you nets $20 million and some nice vengeful publicity. But for lesser mortals, several websites dedicated to re-selling engagement rings and jewelry from defunct relationships have sprung up, reports Bloomberg News: IdonowIdont.com, for example, secured one (obviously not very) lovelorn mortgage broker two thirds of what he paid for the diamond ring he snatched back from his ex-fiancée. Even better, IdonowIdont eases the process with videos of break-up songs and bitter stories from readers: "It is good for the seller to move on," says the site's CEO, "and there are people who want something vintage and used." It's basically a public service! Albeit one that stomps all over romance and is probably making Miss Manners consider retirement.