Maryland Grounds for Divorce

The Cmplaint for Divorce is the document that the filing spouse will request the court to terminate the marriage under certain specified grounds.

An absolute divorce may be granted on one of the following grounds:

(1)      adultery; (2)      desertion for a period of at least 12 months (3)      voluntary separation for at least 12; (4)  Imprisonment for a period of 3 years; (5) Living separate and apart for at least 2 years (6) Insanity only if hospitalized for at least 3 years; (7)    cruelty of treatment; (8)      excessively vicious conduct toward the complaining party or a minor child of the complaining party, if there is no reasonable expectation of reconciliation. (Maryland Code - Family Law Chapter - Section: 7-103)

Every divorce case that is filed in the state of Maryland must declare the grounds in which the divorce is to be granted. The grounds for divorce must be substantiated with evidence or testimony otherwise the court may dismiss the case. The Maryland grounds in Maryland statutes may be located at: http://mlis.state.md.us/.