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Health & Fitness

Northeast Cobb County Divorce Lawyer Shares Thirteen Ways to Leave Your Spouse in Georgia

According to singer Paul Simon, there are “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover.” In Georgia, there are 13 statutory grounds (reasons) to divorce a husband or wife.

The most common ground used in Northeast Cobb County divorce cases today is the “no-fault” ground, added to Georgia law in 1973.  For a no-fault divorce to be granted to a Northeast Cobb County resident, he or she must show that the marriage is "irretrievably broken." What this means is that one of the spouses must be able to show that he or she no longer wishes to live with the other and that reconciliation is not possible.

The other 12 grounds are fault-based and require proof of the specific type of fault. Among these, the 3 most common are:

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Adultery (by either party; either heterosexual or homosexual;  and direct or indirect evidence is allowed)

Cruel treatment (which consists of "willful infliction of pain, bodily or mental, upon the complaining party, such as reasonably justifies apprehension of danger to life, limb, or health")

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Desertion (this must be purposeful, but not in reaction to other bad behavior by other spouse; it includes either physical separation or refusal of intimacy; and it must be continuous for a period of at least one year)

The other nine allowable, but lesser used, grounds for divorce in Georgia are:

Illegal intermarriage with a close relative

Mental incapacity at wedding date

Impotency at wedding date

"Force, menace, duress, or fraud" used to make the other spouse agree to marry (menace seen as threatening behavior)

Pregnancy of wife by another man at wedding date

Conviction for a crime of "moral turpitude" with at least a two-year jail term

Habitual intoxication (this refers to alcohol only)

Habitual drug addiction (this refers to controlled substance as defined by law)

Incurable mental illness (this provisions is extremely strict, and includes very complex requirements)

If you have questions about your legal rights or obligations in the event of  the ending of your marriage in Georgia, consult a knowledgeable and experienced Northeast Cobb County area divorce lawyer, like those at GeorgiaFamilyLaw : Worrall Law LLC. You can reach us at 770-425-6060.

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