The 10 Most Ridiculous Divorce Laws Ever

Special to DadsDivorce.com

1. In Kentucky, it is legal to marry a person, divorce that person, and marry that person again. It is legal to again divorce that person and marry him or her again.

However, Kentucky does eventually stop the madness. A couple can legally remarry three times.

But under Kentucky law, it is illegal to remarry the same person four times.

2. In Texas, as in many other states, gay marriage is banned. Texas takes the issue a step further.  Since gay marriage is not permitted, a gay couple that legally married in another jurisdiction cannot obtain a divorce in Texas. Indiana and Rhode Island also disallow divorce of gay couples.

3. Who really wants to be involved in another couple’s divorce? Well, in New Mexico, Mississippi, and five other states, a spouse can blame a third person for the disintegration of his or her marriage.

Under an “alienation of affection” theory, a spouse can sue the third party and be awarded damages if the spouse can prove that the third party’s actions led to the failure of the marriage. Typically, such lawsuits are filed against the person with whom a spouse has engaged in an extramarital affair.

4. Lack of affection between spouses and their in-laws — particularly mothers-in-law — is so much of a reality that at least one town addressed the issue in an ordinance. In Wichita, Kan., a spouse will not be granted a divorce because the other spouse treated his or her mother-in-law poorly.

5. Apparently in Delaware there have been problems with couples getting married because someone dared them. To address the issue, Delaware passed a law that if a couple married on a dare, then the couple has legal grounds for an annulment.

6. In Tennessee, if your spouse tries to kill you in a malicious manner, you can get a divorce. The statute cites using poison as a malicious way to attempt to kill a spouse.

However, the legislature is silent on whether a person has grounds for divorce if the spouse tries to kill him or her in a manner that does not involve “malice.”

7. In New York, if your spouse goes crazy you can get a divorce, but you still have to take care of him or her. New York law states that a person can annul a marriage if his or her spouse becomes mentally ill and the illness lasts for at least five years during the marriage.

However, the person may be required to pay support to the mentally ill former spouse indefinitely to help defray expenses related to caring for the mentally ill former spouse.

8. In New York, a nursing degree, medical degree, law degree, or any other professional degree or license, if obtained during the marriage, is considered marital property.

Thus, during a divorce the value of the degree or license based on earning potential can be considered when dividing marital property.

9. In Alabama, men and women are sometimes legally treated quite differently. In a divorce, Alabama law allows the wife to retain all property that she owned prior to the marriage, as well as any property she may be entitled to after the marriage. This provision does not apply to husbands and their property.

10. A couple who cannot agree on anything must agree that they do not agree in order to get a divorce in New York.

Huh? Yes, New York law states that in order to get a divorce based on irreconcilable differences, both the husband and wife must agree to at least that.

What’s another “weird” divorce law out there?  Are they truly “weird” or is there a good, logical reason for them?