Today, all states in the country offer couples the option of a no-fault divorce. Some states offer only no-fault divorces, but many states – such as Utah – also have fault grounds options. Choosing divorce grounds is an important decision, one which a knowledgeable Salt Lake City divorce lawyer can help you make.
Under Utah divorce statutes, there are 10 possible grounds for divorce. Fault grounds include:
In the grounds listed, the petitioner is the spouse filing for divorce and the respondent is the spouse being served divorce papers.
- Impotency of the respondent at the time of marriage
- Adultery committed by the respondent subsequent to marriage
- Respondent’s willful desertion of the petitioner for more than one year
- Respondent’s willful neglect of the petitioner for the common necessities of life
- Respondent’s habitual drunkenness
- Felony conviction of the respondent
- Cruel treatment by the respondent that results in the petitioner’s bodily injury or great mental distress
- Incurable insanity
No fault grounds are:
- Irreconcilable differences of the marriage
- Husband and wife have lived separately under a decree of separate maintenance of any state for three consecutive years without cohabitation
A divorce lawyer in Salt Lake City can help you weigh the advantages or disadvantages of the different types of divorce grounds. When helping couples dissolve a marriage, there is often less acrimony when pursuing no-fault divorces. However, each divorce is unique and clients have different needs and objectives.
Intermountain Legal works closely with you to help you make the right choices based on your circumstances.
