The proceeding terminates the marital status and adjudicates related issues. Every state permits no-fault dissolution, with some retaining fault grounds that may affect support or property division.
Residency requirements govern where the action may be filed.
Alternative Names:
Divorce|Marital Dissolution
Why it Matters?
Bifurcating the status termination from remaining issues is available in many states and permits the marriage to end while property and support litigation continues, which matters where remarriage or tax filing status is time-sensitive. Fault grounds persist in some jurisdictions and can affect alimony and property division even where no-fault dissolution is available, which makes the grounds election consequential rather than formal.
Frequently Confused with
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
What does bifurcation accomplish?
Do fault grounds still matter?
