What is an absolute divorce?

An absolute divorce is the legal termination of a marriage in Maryland. This type of divorce is available when there is no chance of reconciliation between spouses. In an absolute divorce, the court grants a decree of absolute divorce to the spouses and they are no longer legally married. This means that all marital rights and responsibilities are ended. To obtain an absolute divorce, one of the spouses has to establish grounds for the divorce, such as adultery, cruelty, desertion, or voluntary separation for at least one year. If the spouses cannot agree on the grounds, a court trial may be necessary. In a trial, the court will consider all relevant evidence and make a decision on the grounds for the divorce. Once the grounds for the divorce are established, the spouses can agree on the terms of the divorce, such as property division and child custody. If they cannot agree, the court will decide the terms. After the terms of the divorce are finalized, the court will issue a decree of absolute divorce, which is the document that officially ends the marriage. An absolute divorce can also be obtained through no-fault divorce proceedings. In this type of divorce, the spouses do not have to prove any fault on either side. Instead, they just need to prove that the marriage has broken down irretrievably and that there is no chance of reconciliation. This type of divorce often takes less time than contested divorces and can be less costly for the spouses involved.

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What is an absolute divorce?

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