When a marriage breaks up, most couples would be hard-pressed to name just one reason for the split. However, for those planning to name grounds for their divorce, becoming familiar with the legal grounds available is useful and necessary. Read on for some information about divorce grounds and how to go the other way, no-fault divorce. 

Give a Reason 

The grounds for divorce vary depending on the couple's state of residence. However, below are some common grounds for divorcing your partner:

• Cheating (or adultery, to use a biblical term).
• Bigamy is being married to more than one person at a time. Only the first marriage, however, is legal. The second marriage can be annulled instead of using a divorce since it was never a legal marriage in the first place.
• Abandonment usually means leaving the spouse physically. However, there are other types of abandonment such as sexual and mental abandonment. Also known as desertion.
• Incapacity can refer to being physically incapacitated, such as in a coma, or mentally incapacitated, such as suffering from severe forms of mental illness.
• Impotence means being unable to engage in sexual relations.
• Substance abuse.
• Incarceration
• Abuse, physical or psychological.

You might be challenged to show proof of the above grounds. Some people use grounds in connection with child custody, debt, and marital property issues.

No-Fault Divorce

Very few people file for divorce by naming any of the above grounds. In most cases, a no-fault divorce is used, and the grounds will be termed either irreconcilable differences or an irretrievable breakdown of the relationship. These vague terms don't require any proof and are used to describe a marriage that cannot be fixed, regardless of trying. A no-fault divorce is a lot easier to deal with because nothing must be shown in court. In fact, in some states, only one or neither party appears in court for the final decree judgment.

Between the couple, however, there are often many perceived faults and grounds lingering around the divorce. A no-fault divorce can quickly morph into something different if things don't go well during the agreement period. For example, a couple fighting over child custody may find themselves bringing up whatever they can to keep the other parent from obtaining custody. However, once you file a no-fault divorce, you may be locked into it or forced to withdraw it and start over.

To decide on which type of divorce you will have, consult a divorce attorney.

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