Family law, also referred to as domestic relations in many states, is the broad body of law that covers marriage, divorce, child custody, adoption, domestic violence, reproductive rights, and other matters regarding family relationships. Much...
divorce
fault divorce
Fault divorce may be granted when one spouse proves that the other spouse did something which resulted in the failure of the marriage. The fault grounds for divorce vary by each state, but some of the traditional fault grounds for divorce are...
foreign divorce
A foreign divorce is a divorce granted in a different jurisdiction or country from the one in which a spouse resides.
[Last updated in July of 2021 by the Wex Definitions Team]
grounds for divorce
The grounds for divorce are the legally acceptable reasons for a divorce. In the U.S., the majority of the states are no-fault divorce states, yet some states still require an individual who files for the divorce to provide why they are...
impotence
Impotence or impotency means the physical incapacity to copulate. Impotence usually refers to a person's, typically a man’s, inability to consummate the marriage. Impotence could provide valid grounds for annulment of marriage if such a...
incompatibility
Incompatibility refers to persistent and unresolvable differences or irreconcilable conflicts between spouses that make it impossible to continue living together as spouses. Every state now recognizes this to be grounds for no-fault divorce,...
incompatible
To be incompatible means that there are persistent and unresolvable differences or irreconcilable conflicts between spouses that make it impossible to continue living together as spouses. Every state now recognizes this to be grounds for no-...
incurable insanity
Incurable Insanity is a legal grounds for obtaining a divorce under family law. In Scott v. Scott, the Court of Appeals of North Carolina defined the term “Incurable Insanity” as being “so mentally impaired that he/she does not understand...
interlocutory decree
A non-final judgment made by a court between the time of filing and before there is a final judgment made. Interlocutory decrees are not final judgments because they do not settle all of the issues presented in the case. They are only challengeable on...
interlocutory judgment
An interlocutory judgment, also known as an interlocutory decree, is a non-final judgment that resolves an element of a claim or another issue without deciding the full case. An interlocutory judgment may or may not be appealable, depending...