The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-11-18
THE DIVORCE LAWS.
Reformers Will Try to Amend Them
to Suit Their Ideas.

That the Kansas divorce laws will
receive a shaking up in the coming
session of the legislature is indicated
in call for meeting of Kansas and
TIissouri jurists to be held in Kansas
City within the next month. The call
witch is made by W. w. Wright, di-
rec proctor for Kansas City, urges
a legislative enactment for uniform dt-
vorce laws.
Frank w. Blackmar of Kansas uni
rsity is heading the divorce reform
i Kansas and has urged many Kan
sas district judges to attend the Kan
considered by the men behind this
lew reform. call for a strict record of
all divorce and separate maintenance
proceedings. An effort will also be
made to revise the divorce code and
to lessen the causes of action for
which an action for divorce may be
maintained.
At the present time there is a wide
difference in the divorce laws of the
various states In Kansas the law is
considered unusually lax. 1t provides
that an action for divorce may be
maintained by the establishment of a
residence of one year in the state and
places the minimum time of remar-
riLge at six months after the issuance
of a decree. While the Kansas law
is regarded as far superior to that of
some states, yet it has been subject to
attack by critics who have found seri-
Gus objections to time limits in the
present statutes.
A revision of the present law is be-
ing considered which will require
residence of two years in the state
before an action for divorce may be
maintained. 1t is also proposed that
remarriage shall be denied for a
issued.
TIL re are other changes in the pro-
posed uniform law which makes it
simple but stringent In it five causes
are allowed for annulment of the mar
rtage contract, six causes of action for
absolute divorce and five causes for
l9Tal separation or separate main
tenance. The five causes under which
annulment would be allowed are: I'm
potency, consanguinitY and affinity,
properly limited, existing marriage,
fraud, force or coercion, or insanity
unknown at the time of marriage to
the other party.
tt causes on which an action for
divorce might be maintained under
the new plan are: Adultery, bigamy.
conviction of crime in certain cases,
lntoIeraole cruelty, wilful desertion
: two years and habitual drunken
IS. Legal separations might be al
| wed for hopeless insanity of hus-
band. adultery, intolera Bile cruelty,
W1iful desertion for two years and
habitual drunkenness. The proposed
revision of the divorce law also per-
mits the offended party to select be-
tween limited or absolute divorce.
Iacked 10 the proposed amendment
IN its present form is a proviso for
keeping proper statistics by the state
boar of health, covering all divorce
and marriage records. The county
clerk. it is proposed would be com
PEELED to furnish this record to the
state officials under penalty of a fine.
Efforts are being made to interest
district judges in both Kansas and
Missouri in this proposed revision of
the divorce laws and to make the di-
VOrCe laws of the two states uniform
1t is probable that a number of Kansas
jul lists viii attend the Kansas City
meeting and that an amendment to
the Kansas law similar TO the one out
lined will be presented to the 1918 leg
iSla ture
number of important features of
the T. posed uniform law are already
Incorporated in the Kansas statutes.