Why No-Fault Divorce is an Important Option

This poor woman has been getting lots of internet snickers over her recent divorce petition. Apparently, in Nigeria, women are not entitled to get a divorce from their spouses simply because they want a divorce. A party seeking a spouse is forced to go into court and prove a good reason for getting out of a marriage. In some Muslim countries, a woman can either get a divorce with her husband’s PERMISSION or she must prove some legitimate reason justifying the divorce.

While this woman’s plight may seem funny at first glance (I laughed), it really isn’t. Surely, she would prefer to keep such a private issue … well, PRIVATE. Surely, she would have preferred to avoid the embarassment and ridicule for needing out of her marriage.

In the United States, we are lucky; every state permits no-fault divorce. This means a spouse wanting a divorce can go into court and get a divorce because s/he wants one, and the judge doesn’t get to stand in the way and decide whether or not he (sometimes “She,” but let’s face it, mostly “He”) thinks she ought get one. It may seem like a right we take for granted, but imagine if the no-fault option weren’t available. Would every spouse have the courage to face ridicule, embarassment, abuse, disbelief, etc. just for wanting to get out?

Read more about no-fault divorce and other grounds for divorce in Georgia here.