No-fault divorce finally reached New York State in 2010, making it much easier to end your marriage in the state. Now, instead of having to live apart from their spouse for a year or accuse the spouse of one of an approved list of misbehaviors, New Yorkers now may simply declare that the marriage has been irretrievably broken down for at least six months.
Other countries have different divorce laws, and it is often much more difficult for married people to obtain divorce. A case in India that is making headlines around the world demonstrates just how different divorce can be outside the U.S.
According to the BBC, the Delhi high court has upheld a lower court ruling from 2012, in which a man was granted divorce because his wife called him a “fat elephant” because of his weight. The husband complained that his wife would taunt him over his size and for being “incapable of satisfying her sexual desires.”
In the high court ruling, one of the justices agreed that “the calling of names and hurling of abuses… by the appellant in respect of her husband, even if he was overweight, is bound to strike at his self-respect and self-esteem.” What’s more, the appellant did not claim that she made the comments teasingly or out of affection. This was sufficient grounds to grant a divorce, the court ruled.
In New York, unending verbal and emotional abuse from your spouse is certainly a reason to consider divorce. Whatever your reasons, you will need the assistance of a knowledgeable divorce attorney to secure your rights, both financially and when it comes to the children.
