Abandonment in New York is when one spouse walks out on the marriage for no good reason, without the consent of the other spouse, and has no intention of returning. A spouse can also be considered abandoned when one spouse unjustifiably excludes the other spouse from the marital residence, without consent, for at least one year.
The terms abandonment and desertion are pretty much interchangeable. Some states use the legal term “desertion” as a ground for divorce and some use “abandonment.” New York divorce law uses the term abandonment.