They also simplified the divorce process and made it more consistent nationwide, thus obviating the need for desperate couples to cross state lines in search of simpler divorce laws. Such a finding requires little more than the desire of one spouse to end the marriage. Many state legislatures adopted the law, and by the end of the 1970s, nearly every state legislature had enacted laws allowing no-fault divorce, or divorce after a specified period of separation. Some states replaced all traditional grounds with a single no-fault provision. Most states allow the filing of a divorce petition at any time, unless the petitioner has not been a resident of the state for a specified period of time.
Some states require a waiting period for their residents.
The waiting period can range from six weeks to two or three years. Illinois and South Dakota maintain the strictest divorce laws. In Minnesota the statute covering dissolution of marriage reads like a primer on no-fault divorce. No-fault is not without its detractors. Some critics argue that strict no-fault divorce can provide a cover for serious marital misconduct.