The person against whom a lawsuit is filed. In certain states, and in certain types of lawsuits, the defendant is called the respondent. Compare plaintiff, petitioner. The voluntary abandonment of one spouse by the other, without the abandoned spouse's consent. Commonly, desertion occurs when a spouse leaves the marital home for a specified length of time.
Desertion is a grounds for divorce in states with fault divorce.
Dismissal An order or judgment finally disposing of an action, suit, motion, etc., without trial of the issues involved. Such may be voluntary or involuntary. The legal termination of marriage. All states require a spouse to identify a legal reason for requesting a divorce when that spouse files the divorce papers with the court. These reasons are referred to as grounds for a divorce.