No Fault Divorce Corruption: National Center for State Courts

 The National Center for State Courts is a non-profit organization established in 1971. It is based in Virginia, United States, and provides comprehensive training and technical assistance to judges, courts, and court administrators. One of the areas the organization deals with is no fault divorce. However, no fault divorce has been associated with various problems, and the National Center for State Courts has not done much to address them. In this regard, this paper critically examines the problems associated with no fault divorce and the responsibility of the National Center for State Courts that has been advocating for them.

No fault divorce has brought about several problems. One of the problems is that it has led to divorce rates rising significantly. Couples who are unhappy with their marriages can easily file for divorce without any legal reasons, leading to divorce rates skyrocketing, which can affect children's lives adversely, including their emotional stability, physical health, and academic performance. Significant numbers of children are exposed to the negative effects of their parents' divorces, including poverty, developmental problems, and behavioral issues.

Additionally, no fault divorce has led to women’s economic instability, especially those who are homemakers. As a result of no fault divorce, the non-working spouses may receive lower or no alimony payments, which can lead to their financial instability. Furthermore, the costs associated with obtaining a divorce can be exorbitant, leaving non-working women at a disadvantage. This has made no fault divorce an option that is available to the affluent middle-class, primarily leaving the lower-working class more likely to stay together but in unhappy marriages.

While the National Center for State Courts has not directly caused these problems related to no fault divorce, its advocacy position and actions have influenced the usage and proliferation of no fault divorce in the United States to the point it is used as a cheap and easy way to dissolve marriages. This advocacy, however, has produced many unhappy but otherwise stable families and children who would not have been headed for divorce if other options were available to them to address issues such as fighting or substance abuse. Similarly, the National Center for State Courts and the courts have often secured large amounts of money from divorce cases. The reality is that some courts which make the most money through this option financially incentivizing its usage and promotion at the very least creating a system where there is collusion for the continuation of no fault divorce laws. It is immoral that the National Center for State Courts has a leader on the forefront of promoting a law that they profit from as it wreaks havoc on marriages and families, often causing long-lasting emotional disturbances for all those who experience it.

To the Church, all forms of divorce are morally wrong. Marriage is viewed as a sacrament and oath before God, and civil divorce is a rejection of that contract. Churches see marriage as a lifelong commitment that should only be broken under the most extreme circumstances. However, no fault divorces are far from being extreme. In his essay, “The Christian View of Divorce," Everett Ferguson argues that the Bible condemns divorce in almost any situation. He goes on to argue that even when an individual is granted a divorce, they are still viewed as married in God's eyes.

In conclusion, no fault divorce has many problems, including women's economic instability, rising divorce rates, and children being affected negatively, and can be immoral from a church's perspective. The National Center for State Courts is responsible for these problems due to its promotion and advocacy of no fault divorce laws and their acceptance of the fact that they profit from the law because of how many families decide to use it. Ultimately, it is hoped that the National Center for State Courts takes more of a critical look at the negative effects of no fault divorce law and take measures to mitigate its destructiveness.