Many years ago, there was a requirement that you had to prove that you were harmed by your spouse in some way, such as through cheating or mistreatment, to get a divorce. Today, divorces are much easier to come by, because proving fault is no longer a necessity.
No-fault states like Georgia allow you to get a divorce without having to show that adultery or abuse occurred. Instead, you can simply approach the court and state that your marriage has had an irrevocable breakdown.
You don’t have to worry about blame during your divorce
One of the great things about divorcing today is that you don’t have to worry about figuring out who is to blame before you can get one. You can choose to file for divorce based on certain grounds if you want to, though. The grounds currently allowed include:
- Adultery
- Abandonment
- Abuse
- Cruel treatment
- Fraud
- Duress
- Certain kinds of prison sentences
- Addiction
- Mental illness
- Impotency
…as well as others. Most people choose not to pursue grounds, because there isn’t any advantage to doing so other than being able to get divorced a little bit faster in some instances.
In most cases, it simply costs more and takes more time to prove grounds, so many people are better served by pursing a no-fault divorce.
How long does it take to get a divorce in Georgia?
The timeline for getting a divorce is short in Georgia. In fact, you only have a waiting period of 31 days. So, if you and your spouse can work out your property division agreements or how you want to split up custody of your children, then you can move forward with your divorce very quickly.
The waiting period is there in case either party changes their mind, but it is also short enough to allow you to move on with your life fairly quickly and easily. If you’re ready to get a divorce, start by looking into your finances, property division and custody concerns. Once you’ve settled the major issues, you can petition to move forward with your divorce with the help of the court.