News Release Proposal to abolish no-fault divorce. Nearly 40,000 Michigan children lost their two-parent home in 1994. That startling statistic prompted state Representative Jesse Dalman and a group of lawmakers to introduce a package of bills designed to encourage a more stable family environment. It's easier to end a marriage than it is to break a contract for buying a household appliance.
Disposable marriage cheapens the commitment and degrades our vows of fidelity and lifelong love.
The legislative package introduced is based on recommendations from five statewide public hearings conducted last year by a House Judiciary Subcommittee on Divorce and Friend of the Court Issues. Dalman chairs the panel. Valentine's Day was chosen by proponents of this legislation to bring attention to this matter. Our goal is to protect the innocent children and nonconsenting spouses caught in the aftermath of failed marriages. Divorce rates across the nation have soared since the implementation of no-fault divorce standards in the early 1970s.