Could the Election Results Bring About New Divorce Laws?

We saw the election results in early November. Some people may be happy, others are upset and even devastated. With the conservatives taking over the presidency and many other important offices, the liberals are concerned that “no-fault” divorce laws in America will soon be a thing of the past.

No-fault divorce is the dissolution of marriage without blaming either party. At-fault divorce, on the other hand, requires one spouse to prove that the other spouse caused the marriage to end in divorce. People are truly concerned that the conservatives will be able to pass a law that would make it harder for people to escape dangerous marriages.

In 1969, Ronald Reagan, who was the governor of California at the time, was the one responsible for signing the country’s first no-fault divorce law. He later called it one of the biggest mistakes of his political life, but plenty of Americans are no doubt glad for the opportunity to leave miserable marriages without having to blame their spouses.

In fact, Reagan endorsed it because he wanted to remove “the acrimony and bitterness between a couple that is harmful not only to their children but also to society as a whole.” Even though he acknowledged that breaking up a family was tragic, he believed allowing divorce would “remove the sideshow elements in many divorce cases.”

However, many people believe that no-fault divorce has created many more elements. Divorce used to be extremely rare back in the 1600s, with roughly one divorce per year. That changed in 1848 when the  “Married Women’s Property Acts” made it easier for wives to claim physical and financial assets. Variations in state divorce laws then led to migratory divorces, in which couples would leave one state to get divorced in a more permissive state.

It has been said that laws regulating divorce are for good reason. They are not some sinister, patriarchal plot. Instead, they were created with the goal of preserving marriages and protecting children.

Religious groups in particular advocate for legislation that encourages married couples to slow down divorce done in haste. They believe that “cooling off” periods can help reduce a person’s anger so they don’t break up their marriage over a seemingly minor issue.

Still, men and women alike should not be placed in dangerous situations. If there is abuse going on, for example, it is better to allow victims to be able to leave their marriages easily so they can avoid physical, emotional, and financial abuse.

Seek Legal Help

For many couples, marriage is hard enough to end as it is. There are so many legal elements involved, and making it harder to divorce will do more harm than good, leaving people in vulnerable positions.

It probably won’t ever get easier to divorce, so if you’re considering it, now might be the right time to pull the trigger and contact a lawyer about your legal options. Fort Lauderdale divorce lawyer Edward J. Jennings, P.A. is here for you to help resolve your divorce as amicably as possible. Fill out the online form or call 954-764-4330 to schedule a consultation.

Source:

dailycitizen.focusonthefamily.com/divorce-is-devastating-it-should-be-difficult-to-break-the-knot/