Thursday, January 25, 2007

Three States Seek to Abolish No-fault Divorce

Under no-fault divorce -- the law in all 50 states -- all that's required is one unhappy spouse. He or she doesn't need a reason to end the marriage. Since no-fault divorce swept the nation in the 1970s, 38 million marriages have dissolved, according to Mike McManus, cofounder of Marriage Savers.

"(No-fault divorce) has destroyed or . . . scarred the lives of 35 million children who are now, as they grow up, finding it very difficult to bond with someone of the opposite sex," he told Family News in Focus.

While 27 states have passed constitutional amendments affirming marriage as being between one man and one woman -- efforts McManus applauds -- he wonders why divorce isn’t being addressed as well.

Three states want to change that. Michigan, Wisconsin and Virginia are considering mutual-consent divorce proposals; meaning both spouses must agree to split, if there are children involved. The proposals include exceptions for abuse and adultery.

Read the rest of this article at CitizenLink