Last Sunday, Governor Paterson signed into law a bill which allows couples
in New York to file for divorce without a prior year long legal separation
or fault. Previously, married couples seeking divorce would have to declare
blame; one spouse had to be at fault, either for abandonment, adultery,
cruel and inhuman treatment, or imprisonment.
The new law is expected to decrease the cost and time of many divorces.
The Governor stated that it would also decrease the contention and emotional
trauma of an already difficult time.
No fault divorces can be unilaterally filed by one spouse, and only require
that the marriage has been “irretrievably broken” for the past 6 months.
North Carolina has a no fault
divorce, although it is in the minority in that it requires that couples live
apart and separate, with the intention of the separation to be permanent,
for at least one year prior to divorce.
Contact a Raleigh Divorce Lawyer at Hopper Law if you have any
family law issues or are seeking a divorce.