Posted: April 11, 2018
Rules of Civil Procedure – Comment Period Closed May 26, 2018
URCP0101 Motion practice before court commissioners. Amend. Makes conforming amendments pursuant to SB 25 (2018), which reduced the 90-day waiting period for a divorce to 30 days. Effective May 8, 2018 pursuant to CJA rule 11-105(5).
URCP0105 Shortening 30 day waiting period in divorce actions. Amend. Makes conforming amendments pursuant to SB 25 (2018), which reduced the 90-day waiting period for a divorce to 30 days. Effective May 8, 2018 pursuant to CJA rule 11-105(5).
This is the greatest change yet! Countless citizens enter the courthouse requesting a divorce and once they hear about the 90 day waiting period they immediately respond with “Why do we have to wait the 90 day waiting period, if I want a divorce, I want a divorce! It isn’t anyone’s business! I shouldn’t be forced to stay married to someone I don’t want to be married to!”
Comments like those above happen consistently and absolutely on a daily basis. They then usually ask how they can waive and have to go through the process of doing so.
I understand the 90 days was an attempt to offer reconciliation time, but I would venture that less than 10% of divorces actually were ever reconciled. Instead it just seemed to aggravate people.
I am in favor of making litigation easier for litigants, but this rule change shortening the time period only cheapens marriage, making it all the more meaningless of an institution.