Many people want to get divorced, but they believe there’s some barrier preventing them from doing so. In some cases, they’ll say that they just don’t have a good enough reason. Someone may be very unhappy in their marriage, for example, but they will admit that their spouse isn’t abusive and never had an extramarital affair. Without a reason, they think that they can’t file for divorce.
But is this true? Do you actually need to have a reason? Does your spouse have to do something wrong that you can cite as a reason to end your marriage?
Washington is a no-fault divorce state
You do not need a reason in Washington state, as it uses no-fault divorce laws. This means you don’t have to prove that the divorce is necessary. You don’t have to show that your spouse was at fault, nor do you have to defend yourself from accusations that you were at fault.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that you won’t give a reason at all, however. Many of these cases revolve around the idea of irreconcilable differences. In other words, you and your spouse are no longer happy being in a romantic relationship together, and you don’t believe it can be fixed.
Beyond that, you don’t have to make any other claims about why you are unhappy. You can simply get a no-fault divorce.
What steps should you take?
If you’ve been putting off divorce because you thought you needed a reason, it’s very important to understand how the current laws work. Be sure you know exactly what legal steps to take.
