Oliver Rose: I think you owe me a solid reason. I worked my a** off for you and the kids to have a nice life and you owe me a reason that makes sense. . . .

– from "The War of the Roses," 1989

Stuck On You," about the push to pass a no-fault divorce law in New York. For those LB'ers who didn't have the pleasure of taking the New York bar exam, here's the divorce law of the Empire State: In the absence of mutual consent, there are only four grounds for divorce — ?cruel and inhuman? treatment, adultery, abandonment for one year, or having spent at least three years in prison. (The only other states that don't offer unilateral divorce are Mississippi and Tennessee.)

According to the piece, New York has held its conservative stance on divorce for generations, thanks in part to the New York legislature's "largely Catholic" composition — despite its liberal reputation. But now a group of matrimonial attorneys, policymakers, academics, and, even, TV judges, are lobbying for no-fault divorce. ?Any law that prescribes that people must live together if the marriage is broken is wrong,? said Judith Sheindlin, a/k/a Judge Judy, at a recent bar association event.

What's the argument against no-fault? On the other side of the debate, reports Elle, is the New York Chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW-NYS), a "stalwart feminist organization" launched by Betty Freidan in the late ?60s to promote equal rights for women. NOW-NYS, finding itself allied with so-called pro-family organizations, says that ?Improving women?s economic status is the primary lens through which we look at issues.? In other words, by keeping no-fault divorce out of the law, women can — for lack of a euphemism — extort financial settlements with the threat of contesting the divorce.

Those fighting for no-fault accuse NOW-NYS of ignoring the facts. ?There is no evidence to support the claim that no-fault provides women with a significant bargaining advantage,? says Brooklyn Law School professor Marsha Garrison, who compared support awards in New York with those in other states and concluded that no-fault divorce didn?t cause a decline in awards. Moreover, as forum participant Judge Sondra Miller noted forcefully, ?This [fight] isn?t only about money.? Women are more susceptible to becoming trapped in bad marriages. A man at last resort has the escape clause of moving to a neighboring no-fault state, whereas women most often caring for children don?t."

Says Judge Judy: ?I think some vocal opponents have been bamboozled to believe that the women and children are going to starve. That?s ludicrous. That is not what is happening. There are women out there today earning more than their mates.?

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