Grounds for divorce

Historically, in an attempt to reduce and eliminate divorce, states required a spouse to prove one of the three traditional grounds for divorce: adultery, desertion or extreme cruelty. Many states began enacting what are called "no-fault" divorce laws in the 1970s and 1980s. By 2010, all states had enacted no-fault divorce laws, although couples must still provide a ground for divorce in each state.

Grounds for a legal divorce vary by state. After the implementation of no-fault laws, common grounds for divorce include adultery, cruel and abusive treatment, desertion, long-term incarceration, confinement in a mental hospital, drug or alcohol addiction, deviant sexual conduct, impotency and an irretrievable breakdown of the marriage. In some states couples can also divorce on the no-fault ground of dwelling in separate habitations for a period of 18 months with no reasonable prospect of reconciliation.