The phrase
"fault grounds" refers to specific reasons for a divorce that are based on the misconduct or bad behavior of one or both spouses. These reasons can include things like adultery, abuse, or abandonment.
Full definition
Its statutes don't include the typical
fault grounds of adultery, abandonment or cruelty.
All states recognize no - fault divorce, but many states also allow spouses to file
on fault grounds such as abandonment.
For example, many lawyers now advise against
using fault grounds even when they exist because no - fault makes it easier to accomplish the same result.
The two
fault grounds available to dissolve a standard marriage are adultery and the commission of a felony with a sentence of death or imprisonment.
Your spouse's cooperation is not required when you file, even if you choose not to cite
fault grounds in your divorce complaint or petition.
In advance of this meeting, one must gather financial documents, evidence, and statements from others if there is
marital fault grounds in the partnership.
However, even if you can successfully prove your spouse's
fault grounds did not occur, it won't stop the divorce indefinitely.
Not all states offer a choice between fault and no -
fault grounds when you file for divorce.
Second, I am unaware of any reported cases in which the family court granted or the appellate court approved a divorce on
mutual fault grounds.
An entitlement defense may exist if the plaintiff has
committed fault grounds for divorce, such as infidelity, abandonment or cruelty.
It did not permit divorce at all until 1949, and it allowed it only on
restricted fault grounds for 20 years after that.
All states recognize some form of no - fault divorce, but the no -
fault grounds involve a lengthy separation in some states.
Every state now has no -
fault grounds for divorce, permitting a spouse who is dissatisfied with the marriage to obtain a divorce simply on that ground.
Sometimes, therefore, couples might decide to «get around» the separation requirement by
using fault grounds.
As of 2010, all states recognize no - fault divorce, but the majority allow spouses to file
on fault grounds as well.
In Massachusetts, uncontested divorces may be sought only if they are based on an irretrievable breakdown of the marriage relationship, not on other
recognized fault grounds, such as adultery or desertion.
In states where the only no - fault ground available is a lengthy separation, you can hasten your divorce along if you cite
fault grounds instead.
However, there are benefits to filing your petition on
fault grounds if you can prove adultery, as Georgia courts can rule in your favor on issues like alimony and the distribution of marital assets.
Ohio also has several fault - based grounds available, but
fault grounds require the filing spouse to prove the grounds exist should the other spouse dispute them.
West Virginia permits no - fault, which means irreconcilable differences, or living apart and without cohabitation for one year, along with
other fault grounds.
The downside is that you run the risk of antagonizing your spouse if you
cite fault grounds.
In practice, the parties might use the
at fault grounds to acquire a mutually desired and agreed after divorce: they can agree to the uncontested divorce as long as one of the parties is willing to allege on the list of fault based grounds and another party accepts the «fault» without having contesting it (this was common inside the past).
Other states allow you to file on no -
fault grounds such as irreconcilable differences or irretrievably breakdown of the marriage without a separation time requirement.
So even if you have grounds to be divorced, i.e. adultery, abuse, abandonment, etc., most people end up getting a no fault divorce because the court will not
hear fault grounds unless one spouse refuses to consent to the divorce.
The majority of states
offer fault grounds for divorce while the remaining states and the District of Columbia are «pure» no - fault jurisdictions.
Their analysis may have gotten misdirected because of archaic terms such as «custody» and «visitation,» and their understanding of how marriages break up may be unduly tied to the
old fault grounds for divorce.
New Hampshire recognizes the no -
fault grounds of irreconcilable differences, so most uncontested divorces proceed on this basis.
You might object to your spouse's grounds — Tennessee recognizes 12
different fault grounds, some of them quite creative — or you might disagree with what your spouse is asking the court to grant her in the divorce.
Although some states have moved away from
traditional fault grounds, adultery may still affect certain aspects of a divorce, such as spousal support, property division, and in extreme cases, child custody determinations.
If you can not provide sufficient evidence to prove the adultery, the court can not grant your divorce based on that ground; you may be able to use your state's no -
fault grounds instead.
While there may be circumstances when filing for divorce
under fault grounds may be appropriate, it is important to note that under almost all circumstances, the grounds for divorce are not a factor in the settlement of property, child and spousal support or custody, as evidenced by the recent Mani v. Mani decision.
Oregon is a pure no - fault state; you do not have the option to
use fault grounds for divorce.
Should you file under irreconcilable differences or list marital
fault grounds in your divorce complaint?
If you file for a no - fault divorce in New York, you are not required to be legally separated first nor do you need to be legally separated in order to file using
most fault grounds.
If she can't prove this to the court, the judge will deny the divorce, but she can then refile on no -
fault grounds if she's determined to end your marriage.
Filing for a divorce in Georgia on no -
fault grounds doesn't require you to prove to the court that your spouse is guilty of adultery in order to legally dissolve the marriage.
In New York State, no -
fault grounds mean you can get divorced because your marriage has been irretrievably broken for six months.