No-Fault Divorce

About No-Fault Divorce in California

In California, divorcing couples do not need to establish “fault” in order to legally end their marriages. They may file for divorce on a no-fault basis, meaning there are no particular grounds upon which the divorce case is filed. California was actually the first state to adopt this forward-thinking method of divorce. Prior to no-fault divorce, a spouse could only file for divorce based upon such atrocities as adultery, imprisonment of one spouse for an extended period of time, abandonment or cruel and inhuman treatment.

If you and your spouse wish to divorce, you can do so on the basis of “irreconcilable differences”. This essentially means that your marriage is irretrievably broken. Even if your spouse disagrees, you can still file for divorce on this no-fault basis. One of the benefits of this approach is that one party is not held to blame. In fact, an interesting point is this: New York was the last state in the U.S. to adopt no-fault divorce. As of December of 2010, the new no-fault laws will go into effect. Before this time, some divorcing couples would falsely allege adultery or other serious grounds just so they would be able to file for divorce. No-fault divorce laws eliminate this need and instead allow couples to divorce on their own terms.

Whether or not a divorce is fault-based, couples will need to resolve issues involving spousal support, child support, property and debt division, visitation and child custody. These can be complex issues, and any divorce is best approached with the help of a competent attorney. At the Law Office of Teresa Beyers, we are experienced in helping husbands and wives file for divorce in Los Angeles, and we will be happy to see how we can assist you.

Contact a Los Angeles Divorce Lawyer at our law firm today to find out more about our services.