It has been noted that, traditionally, courts have granted divorces on fault grounds: one spouse
is deemed to be at fault in causing the divorce. More and more today, however, divorces are being
granted on a no-fault basis.
Proponents of no-fault divorce argue that when a marriage fails, it is rarely the case that one
marriage partner is completely to blame and the other blameless. A failed marriage is much more
often the result of mistakes by both partners.
Another argument in favor of no-fault divorce is that proving fault in court, in a public arena, is
a destructive process that only serves to lengthen the divorce process and that dramatically increases
the negative feelings present in a divorce. If a couple can reach a decision to divorce without first
deciding which partner is to blame, the divorce settlement can be negotiated more easily and
equitably and the postdivorce healing process can begin more rapidly.
