To end a valid marriage, there must be a judgment of divorce. In a divorce complaint, the only allegation of the grounds for divorce the statute permits is the no-fault ground, i.e., “there has been a breakdown of the marriage relationship to the extent that the objects of matrimony have been destroyed and there remains no reasonable likelihood that the marriage can be preserved.” If the statutory standard is met, the court must enter a judgment of divorce; thus, one party will invariably be able to obtain the divorce even if the other party objects.
A judgment of divorce may not be granted unless one of the parties, either the plaintiff or the defendant, has resided in the state for at least 180 days and in the county of filing for at least 10 days immediately preceding filing of the complaint. The 10-day period does not require the plaintiff’s continuing physical presence for the 10 days immediately preceding filing for divorce.