Maryland Divorce Laws

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• § 7-101. General provisions.
  (a) Residence requirement.- If the grounds for the divorce occurred outside of this State, a party may not apply for a divorce unless 1 of the parties has resided in this State for at least 1 year before the application is filed.
• § 7-103. Absolute divorce.
  (a) Grounds for absolute divorce.- The court may decree an absolute divorce on the following grounds:
        (1) adultery;
        (2) desertion, if:
  1. the parties voluntarily have lived separate and apart without cohabitation for 12 months without interruption before the filing of the application for divorce; and
  2. there is no reasonable expectation of reconciliation;
       (4) conviction of a felony or misdemeanor in any state or in any court of the United States if before the filing of the application for divorce the defendant has:
  1. the insane spouse has been confined in a mental institution, hospital, or other similar institution for at least 3 years before the filing of the application for divorce;
  2. the court determines from the testimony of at least 2 physicians who are competent in psychiatry that the insanity is incurable and there is no hope of recovery; and
  3. 1 of the parties has been a resident of this State for at least 2 years before the filing of the application for divorce;
       (7) cruelty of treatment toward the complaining party or a minor child of the complaining party, if there is no reasonable expectation of reconciliation; or
       (8) excessively vicious conduct toward the complaining party or a minor child of the complaining party, if there is no reasonable expectation of reconciliation.
  
  Last Updated: 6-17-08