The GOP's Next Target? No-Fault Divorce and Women's Right to Leave

[niyad]

(remember the lines in "Days of the Theocracy" 1979--"the family is so holy, there must be no divorce. and if a wife is not content, she must adjust, of course.&quot


The GOP’s Next Target? No-Fault Divorce and Women’s Right to Leave

PUBLISHED 3/10/2025 by Amy Shearn

We’re living in a culture of blame—no wonder no-fault divorce is at risk.



. . . Donald Trump, alongside House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and wife Kelly Johnson, speaks to the crowd in the overflow area in after his inauguration at the Capitol on Jan. 20, 2025. The Johnsons are in a “covenant marriage,” a religiously-influenced legal agreement that makes it harder to get a divorce. (Graeme Jennings / Getty Images)

While America’s blamer-in-chief foments a culture of finding fault—blaming Democrats for the LA fires, “DEI” for plane crashes and immigrants for high housing prices—those of us who care about women’s and children’s rights are justly concerned about the future of no-fault divorce. Although no-fault divorce hasn’t gotten to. . . . Donald Trump’s chopping block yet, rumors have proliferated, and people are justifiably anxious. As Amanda Montei wrote in her newsletter Mad Woman, “No-fault divorce was one of many internet searches that surged in the days following the election. On TikTok, divorce coaches and influencers urged women to get divorced while they still could. Some divorce lawyers offered anecdotal evidence that divorce filings were already on the rise.”

. . . . .

Let’s be real. The Republican party—roiling as it is with divorcees, serial cheaters and convicted sex offenders—can spare us the lectures on the sanctity of marriage. Nor do I buy that adding friction to the divorce process is about what’s best for children. This administration hasn’t shown much interest in protecting children—poised as they are to slash funding for schools, for example. Besides, as the authors of this historical study of the idea that divorce hurts kids note, “Most of the problems associated with being a child of divorce are instead related to sexism, racism, homophobia, shoddy recordkeeping, and insufficient government support.”

The movement against no-fault divorce is about walking back women’s rights and autonomy. Even opponents of no-fault divorce don’t claim that making divorce harder to obtain will lead to happier marriages, or any change in men’s behavior. As Anne Helen Peterson writes, our culture assumes that a miserable marriage is something that the wife—always the wife—can fix through some good old-fashioned grit and hard work. And that it’s inherently worth such grit and hard-work. Not to get too Marxist here, but marriage serves a useful function in capitalist society. Much of our economy, from housing prices to childcare availability, is designed around the unit of straight married couples. Of course an administration devoted to shuttering social services wants to shore up the institution of marriage.


. . . .

Because you really can want out of a marriage and not hate the other person. In fact, being able to grasp nuance, to hold several ideas in your head at once (i.e., I can’t be married to this person anymore, and also I don’t think he is a criminal or even a bad person), is, if anything, a sign of emotional intelligence, something I think we could all use a little more of. No-fault divorce allows for a civil proceeding guided by mutual respect, without accusations or undue legal drama. Without hatred. Without blame. No wonder the blameocracy questions its validity.

https://msmagazine.com/2025/03/10/gop-no-fault-divorce-ban-womens-rights-trump-mike-johnson/

[jmowreader]

1. They also want to go back to divorce trials

Like I’ve said many times since the “get rid of no-fault divorce” movement started, if divorce requires fault couples who want amicable divorces will start manufacturing faults. “Cindy, could you be a real pal and sleep with my husband this weekend so I can charge him with adultery?”

[oldsoldierfadingfast]

2. We are going to need...

more underground railroads.
For over 30 years, I was a small part of one that protected abused persons.
Most were wives, with or w/o children; a few were men, with or w/o children. Some LBJTQ getting away from bad situations. Others were adults getting their minor children away from recruiting gangs. All had a story...
I never knew any of the other participants in this endeavor, nor did they know me by name or where I lived. Did not know how, when , where or who established this particular road - or how/who got my name to request my help in the first place. Don't even want to know! I can only say the work was rewarding to my psyche just in knowing I was helping someone and maybe even saving a life.

It breaks my heart that I can no longer do this.

[yankee87]

5. Dang- hero

My family helped two different runaways my wife befriended in a gas station. Helped them with a hands on landlord, social services, and made them part of the family. But nothing compared to your courage.

[oldsoldierfadingfast]

10. It was a little difficult...

when living in a populated area along the eastern shore, but became easier after my move to the mountains. Since I lived alone, it didn't take much gut, just an extra room or two.
I will tell you that one couple knew what I was doing and I could always call on them if/when I had to for things like baby formula in the middle of the night. (After her death, the severely depressed husband in that couple moved into my home and made the move to the mts. with me.)
An ex-police officer with some FBI training, a sharp-shooter with a big imposing body, he wore a gun to walk our Yorkie each morning as we have fox, coyotes, bear, big hawks, etc in our very remote area. Our visitors usually felt rather safe.
Here in the mts., one couple knew and I could call on them for help as when someone needed extra clothing and they went shopping for us.
We only came close to getting caught once, but I was warned by the previous driver that I may be followed as the thought maybe he was. I called my housemate and told him. He was prepared when I arrived.
By switching cars, rigging a body image, using a wig holder and imagination, my housemate left and made a right turn at the end of the 200 ft, downhill drive-way. With lights out, I stayed back and watched as two cars followed him, then I went down to the end, turned right and took our guests to our cabin; he took them to Walmart and bought some hemorrhoid wipes.
We even had fairly large parties here where our longer staying guests helped us prepare.
Yet to this day, only that one couple who helped us knows what we were doing.
So no; it did not take guts on my part - just resources which, fortunately, I had been given in the latter part of my life by an 'Unknown Hand' and told to use the wisely.

[niyad]

6. You are a true hero! Thank you.

[oldsoldierfadingfast]

11. No, niyad...

While I do thank you for saying such; I am not a hero. I am just someone who has been on the other side and later became fortunate enough to help others.
However, if you will write on a small card 'The woman giving you this is a true hero!'; I will take the cards downtown to pass out to everyone I see and will give them one of my best wrinkled-faced smiles.

[yankee87]

3. No fault only the beginning

Soon, not being able to open a bank account, get a mortgage, etc. I’m really concerned for my children’s future.

[niyad]

7. Wev are going backwards at a frightening rate.

[LoisB]

4. Why create acrimony where there does not need to be any? Sometimes married people just

grow in different directions without animosity.

[niyad]

8. Because it is, and always has been, about controlling women.

[LoisB]

9. Yep.