The Louisiana Republican Party is considering supporting annulment of no-fault divorce

The Louisiana Republican Party is debating whether to recommend annulment of no-fault divorce, a change that would make it more difficult for couples to dissolve their marriage if it was enacted.

The Louisiana Republican Central Committee was scheduled to pass a resolution at its meeting on Saturday encouraging state lawmakers to overturn no-fault divorce, but its author, Nicholas James, decided to hand the action back to the committee’s resolution vetting group for further work.

One Republican who attended Saturday’s meeting objected to the no-fault divorce being annulled, on the grounds that she might still be in an unhappy marriage to a gay man if that were not an option. The party leadership can still put the resolution to a vote at future meetings.

Members of the Republican Party target no-fault divorce because they believe it is the weakest institution of marriage.

“The marriage laws of Louisiana have destroyed the institution of marriage over the past thirty to fifty years,” the initial draft of James’s decision read. “The destruction of marriage has led to widespread child poverty in Louisiana.”

In Louisiana, a no-fault divorce is a divorce in which neither spouse takes blame for the failure of the marriage. It is usually easier and cheaper to perform than fault-to-fault divorces, where it must be proven that one of the spouses was responsible for the dissolution of their marriage.

A fault-finding divorce is likely to result in an unbalanced distribution of spousal support, division of assets, and access to children. It is awarded when either spouse is found guilty of a capital crime, adultery or abuse.

By contrast, louisiana couples are looking for No-fault divorce They only have to prove that they have lived apart for six months if they do not have minor children and for a year if they do have minor children. No responsibility for the solution is required to be found.

King Alexander, a Lake Charles attorney who oversees the GOP Resolutions Committee, said the recommendation against no-fault divorce is not controversial among members of the GOP state central committee. But he expects civil judges and lawyers to put up a fight if the legislature seriously considers removing it.

Without the option of a no-fault divorce, Alexander said, civil courts would be burdened with more fault divorce hearings, and couples who agreed to separate would be forced to make “ugly allegations” in order to dissolve their marriages.

Louisiana residents who have strong objections to divorce can also sign up Covenant marriageWhich makes getting a divorce more difficult.

People in covenantal marriages who want a divorce must undergo marriage counseling and be separated for at least 18 months if they have minor children. In all other cases—including those involving spousal or child abuse—couples in contractual marriages must be separated for at least a year before a divorce can be granted, according to the Louisiana Department of Health.

Conservatives have advocated repealing no-fault divorce laws across the country in recent years, but nearly all states still have no-fault divorce laws on the books. Only two, Mississippi and South Dakota, do not offer a flawless choice.

In Mississippi, there was years long effort To allow a no-fault divorce. A task force concluded that divorce was more costly in Mississippi because there is no no-fault divorce. Domestic violence advocates have also said that the lack of a no-fault divorce places parents and children in abusive situations. According to Mississippi Today.

Last year, a Republican senator from Mississippi introduced legislation for a no-fault divorce, but bill Failed to get out of the House Committee After conservative Christian groups objected to him.

Louisiana Illuminator It is part of the States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus backed by grants and a coalition of donors as a public charity under Section 501c(3). Louisiana Illuminator maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Greg LaRose with questions: info@lailluminator.com. Follow the Louisiana Illuminator on Facebook And Twitter.