No-Fault Divorce in Maine
State-specific overview · Family Law
Maine grants no-fault divorce based on irreconcilable differences with no mandatory waiting period.
How Maine treats No-Fault Divorce
Maine allows either spouse to obtain a divorce by stating that irreconcilable differences exist, with no statutory waiting period required. The court may grant the divorce promptly once the petition is properly served and the defendant's time to respond has passed. Maine's approach emphasizes efficiency in uncontested cases. The court addresses property division, spousal support, and custody separately from the divorce ground itself.
The general definition of No-Fault Divorce
A divorce granted without requiring either spouse to prove wrongdoing by the other.
A no-fault divorce is a divorce where neither spouse has to prove that the other did something wrong, like infidelity or abuse. Instead, one or both spouses simply state that the marriage is irretrievably broken or that they have irreconcilable differences. This is the most common type of divorce in the United States today. No-fault divorces are generally faster and less contentious than fault-based divorces because they don't require gathering evidence of misconduct.
Read the full No-Fault Divorce entry →This page is a plain-English reference and is not legal advice. State laws change frequently. For specific situations consult a licensed attorney in Maine.