Massachusetts Divorce Laws

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• Chapter 208: Section 4. Domicile of parties
  Section 4. A divorce shall not, except as provided in the following section, be adjudged if the parties have never lived together as husband and wife in this commonwealth; nor for a cause which occurred in another jurisdiction, unless before such cause occurred the parties had lived together as husband and wife in this commonwealth, and one of them lived in this commonwealth at the time when the cause occurred.
• Chapter 208: Section 1. General provisions
  Section 1. A divorce from the bond of matrimony may be adjudged for adultery, impotency, utter desertion continued for one year next prior to the filing of the complaint, gross and confirmed habits of intoxication caused by voluntary and excessive use of intoxicating liquor, opium, or other drugs, cruel and abusive treatment, or, if a spouse being of sufficient ability, grossly or wantonly and cruelly refuses or neglects to provide suitable support and maintenance for the other spouse, or for an irretrievable breakdown of the marriage as provided in sections one A and one B; provided, however, that a divorce shall be adjudged although both parties have cause, and no defense upon recrimination shall be entertained by the court.
• Chapter 208: Section 2. Confinement for crime
  Section 2. A divorce may also be adjudged if either party has been sentenced to confinement for life or for five years or more in a federal penal institution or in a penal or reformatory institution in this or any other state; and, after a divorce for such cause, no pardon granted to the party so sentenced shall restore such party to his or her conjugal rights.
  
  Last Updated: 6-17-08