Every person is different, which would mean every marriage is different—as well as every divorce; New Jersey divorce law was written with that in mind. There are ten possible grounds someone can use to file for divorce, the most common grounds being separation, extreme cruelty, and the often used irreconcilable differences.
When declaring your grounds for divorce in New Jersey, it’s important to make sure your claims can be substantiated. For example, using “separation” as your grounds is only possible if the couple has been apart for 18 months or more; proof of the physical separation would obviously have to be given.
Reasons for divorce vary, and the definition of the legal grounds can be interpreted differently and applied to fit each individual divorce situation. “Extreme cruelty,” for example, is one of the grounds commonly used by plaintiffs when filing, or by defendants who are responding. The ground of extreme cruelty can mean daily verbal/physical abuse, or a lack of emotional support.
“Irreconcilable differences” is used as grounds in New Jersey divorce proceedings when the couple does not want to file with any blame pointed at the other spouse. There are situations when the marriage is simply over despite best efforts being made by both spouses.