Bill In Louisiana Could Grant Earlier Divorces To Abused Spouses

The House in Louisiana approved a recent bill that could have a large impact on anyone who is potentially looking to get a divorce in the state. Specifically, the bill tackles the issue of spouses who are suffering from abuse in the home. If the spouse can show that the reason for the divorce is abuse, the bill would give the courts the power to act instantly, granting them the divorce in a quick manner. As of right now, getting a divorce is a much longer process.

As the laws currently stand, physical and sexual abuse are not on the list of things that can be used in the state as a grounds for divorce. That list contains things like living separately for a specific amount of time, a felony conviction for one party that results in jail time or in a death sentence, and adultery. This bill would simply add both types of abuse to that list, making divorce for those reasons possible.

Waived by the bill would be the waiting period that is in place currently – a period of 180 days – between a protective order being issued and a divorce being granted by the court. This would hold true even if the person who is allegedly abusing the other party is not facing prosecution for the crime.

This bill could potentially be a huge change for those asking for a divorce in Louisiana, especially if they feel that they are in danger living in their home. Anyone who is in this unfortunate situation should pay close attention to the progression of this bill and, if it passes, get the divorce they want as soon as possible.

Source: www.nola.com, “Louisiana Senate bill granting divorces earlier to abused spouses moves forward: Snapshot” Emily Lane, May. 05, 2014