Source: https://law.justia.com/codes/mississippi/2010/title-93/5/93-5-1
Timestamp: 2019-04-23 08:37:46+00:00

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Justia US Law US Codes and Statutes Mississippi Code 2010 Mississippi Code TITLE 93 - DOMESTIC RELATIONS Chapter 5 - Divorce and Alimony. 93-5-1 - Causes for divorce.
Chapter 5 - Divorce and Alimony.
§ 93-5-1. Causes for divorce.
Twelfth. Incurable mental illness. However, no divorce shall be granted upon this ground unless the party with mental illness has been under regular treatment for mental illness and causes thereof, confined in an institution for persons with mental illness for a period of at least three (3) years immediately preceding the commencement of the action. However, transfer of a party with mental illness to his or her home for treatment or a trial visit on prescription or recommendation of a licensed physician, which treatment or trial visit proves unsuccessful after a bona fide effort by the complaining party to effect a cure, upon the reconfinement of the party with mental illness in an institution for persons with mental illness, shall be regular treatment for mental illness and causes thereof, and the period of time so consumed in seeking to effect a cure or while on a trial visit home shall be added to the period of actual confinement in an institution for persons with mental illness in computing the required period of three (3) years confinement immediately preceding the beginning of the action. No divorce shall be granted because of mental illness until after a thorough examination of the person with mental illness by two (2) physicians who are recognized authorities on mental diseases. One of those physicians shall be either the superintendent of a state psychiatric hospital or institution or a veterans hospital for persons with mental illness in which the patient is confined, or a member of the medical staff of that hospital or institution who has had the patient in charge. Before incurable mental illness can be successfully proven as a ground for divorce, it shall be necessary that both of those physicians make affidavit that the patient is a person with mental illness at the time of the examination, and both affidavits shall be made a part of the permanent record of the divorce proceedings and shall create the prima facie presumption of incurable mental illness, such as would justify a divorce based on that ground. Service of process shall be made on the superintendent of the hospital or institution in which the defendant is a patient. If the patient is in a hospital or institution outside the state, process shall be served by publication, as in other cases of service by publication, together with the sending of a copy by registered mail to the superintendent of the hospital or institution. In addition, process shall be served upon the next blood relative and guardian, if any. If there is no legal guardian, the court shall appoint a guardian ad litem to represent the interest of the person with mental illness. The relative or guardian and superintendent of the hospital or institution shall be entitled to appear and be heard upon any and all issues. The status of the parties as to the support and maintenance of the person with mental illness shall not be altered in any way by the granting of the divorce.
Sources: Codes, Hutchinson's 1848, ch. 34, art. 2 (3, 4, 6), art. 6 (1); 1857, ch. 40, arts. 11, 12, 13, 15; 1871, §§ 1767, 1768, 1770; 1880, §§ 1155, 1156, 1157; 1892, § 1562; 1906, § 1669; Hemingway's 1917, § 1411; 1930, § 1414; 1942, § 2735; Laws, 1932, ch. 275; Laws, 1938, ch. 264; Laws, 1956, ch. 248; Laws, 2008, ch. 442, § 25, eff from and after July 1, 2008.

References: § 93
 art. 2
 art. 6
 § 1562
 § 1669
 § 1411
 § 1414
 § 2735
 § 25