The Battle Over Divorce

According to Dana Godner, her marriage was clearly at its end. She and her husband watched separate movies at the theater, slept in separate beds, and she even had an affair with her tennis pro. But, according to New York state law, she had no grounds for getting divorced. In New York, the only state in the union that doesn’t allow irreconcilable differences as grounds for divorce, you must be able to prove your spouse is guilty of the following: “cruel and inhuman” treatment, adultery, abandonment for one year, or having spent at least three years in prison.

This month’s issue of Elle magazine features a fascinating in-depth feature about the growing movement to bring no-fault divorce to New York. The movement is backed by prominent lawyers and—oddly enough—Judge Judy. If you’re facing divorce in New York State this article is a must-read. [Elle]