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Legal Information: Ohio

Divorce

Laws current as of
July 12, 2023

What are the grounds for divorce in Ohio?

Grounds are legally acceptable reasons for divorce. A judge can grant you a divorce if your spouse:

  • was already married when s/he married you;
  • abandons you for one year;
  • cheats on you (adultery);
  • treats you with extreme cruelty;1
  • enters into marriage with you under fraudulent circumstances;2
  • “grossly neglects” his/her duties within the marriage;
  • is habitually drunk;
  • is imprisoned in a state or federal correctional institution at the time you file for divorce;
  • gets divorced outside the state without your involvement;3
  • lives separate and apart from you for a year; or
  • agrees with you that you are not a compatible couple.1

1 OH ST § 3105.01
2 OH ST § 3105.01; see also Basickas v. Basickas, 114 N.E.2d 270 (OH App. 1953)
3 OH ST § 3105.01; see also Rousculp v. Rousculp, 244 N.E.2d 512 (OH App. 1968)

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