New York Becomes a No-Fault Divorce State

On August 15, New York Governor David Paterson signed a bill making New York a no-fault divorce state. New York previously required couples to prove fault before divorce was granted and was the last state to drop this requirement.  The measure will be effective in 60 days. 

By removing the requirement to prove fault in divorce cases, couples and the courts can avoid wasting resources and embarrassing people in public proceedings.  Now they can focus on the important issues: division of assets and child custody.

See Carlyn Kolker & Patricia Hurtado, Divorce Easier as New York Law Ends Need to Lie, Bloomberg, Aug. 16, 2010.

Special thanks to Evan N. Rogdakis (financial planner, Syosset, NY) for bringing this to my attention.