Definition Ground(s) - a legal basis for a divorce.
Application in Divorce These include adultery, cruel and abusive treatment, desertion, long-term incarceration, habitual intoxication, non-support, impotence, and irretrievable breakdown.

The meaning of these terms and their application varies from state to state.

See Fault, No-fault Divorce.

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Questions & Answers
Helpful Tips & Facts
  1. New York is Unique - You MUST Have Grounds for a Divorce
    New York is the only state in the nation that does not offer a no fault divorce option. You must have one of the six grounds for a divorce listed in the Domestic Relations Law:
    (1) The cruel and inhuman treatment of the plaintiff by the defendant.
    (2) The abandonment of the plaintiff by the defendant for more than one year.
    (3) The confinement of the defendant in prison for a period of three consecutive years.
    (4) The commission of an act of adultery.
    (5) The husband and wife have lived apart pursuant to a decree or judgment of separation for a period of one or more years.
    (6) The husband and wife have lived separate and apart pursuant to a written agreement of separation for a period of one year.

    An experienced matrimonial lawyer can almost always help you make your case fit in one of the categories.
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