"No Fault" Divorce Law

Many states have enacted no fault divorce laws, pursuant to which residents can obtain a divorce without establishing that the other party did something wrong. Typically, the trial court is permitted to grant a divorce if it finds that the marriage relationship has broken down to the extent that the objects of matrimony have been destroyed and there is no reasonable likelihood that the marriage can be preserved. Depending upon state law, issues of "fault" may still be relevant to child custody and the division of property.