Court Opinion

ID: 9665486
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 00:49:33.176795+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:15:16.042687
License: Public Domain

TEIGEN, Judge
(concurring specially).
I concur in the syllabus and in the result of the majority opinion. However I am troubled by what appears to be an inconsistent position taken by the trial court and approved by the majority in their opinion.
This action was commenced by the plaintiff, alleging extreme cruelty by the defendant as a cause for seeking a decree of divorce. The trial court, in its Finding No. 3, found:
“That there are incidents of beatings inflicted upon the plaintiff by the defendant; * * *”
This part of the finding, it appears, is a finding of “extreme cruelty” and is a cause for which a divorce may be granted under Section 14-05-03, N.D.C.C. It is defined as “the infliction by one party to the marriage of grievous bodily injury * * * upon the other.” Section 14-05-05, N.D. C.C.
However the court, in its Finding No. 3, then goes on to say “that there is little likelihood that conditions will improve; that the incidents probably arose because of their age, and for this reason, the court finds that irreconcilable differences exist between the plaintiff and defendant and that the legitimate ends of this marriage have been destroyed; that the plaintiff is entitled to an absolute divorce from the defendant.”
“Irreconcilable differences” was made an additional ground for divorce in 1971 (Chapter 149, S.L.1971). The new statute defines irreconcilable differences as follows :
“Irreconcilable differences are those grounds which are determined by the court to be substantial reasons for not continuing the marriage and which make it appear that the marriage should be dissolved.” Section 14-05-09.1, N.D.C.C,
The 1971 amendment to the divorce statute has created a no-fault cause for divorce. It essentially relates to an incompatible relationship between spouses for which neither party may be at fault. Thus where a divorce is sought on the ground of irreconcilable differences, the fault standard required to be established under the remaining seven grounds for divorce is not a factor.
Irreconcilable differences, the eighth cause set forth in Section 14-05-03, N.D. C.C., as amended, which lists the causes for which a divorce may be granted, is, in my opinion, comparable to the sole cause for divorce enacted by the state of Iowa, which is quoted in the Iowa Supreme Court decision in In re Marriage of Williams, 199 N.W.2d 339, 342 (Ia.1972), as Section 598.17 of The Code of 1971, as follows :
“Dissolution of marriage — evidence. A decree dissolving the marriage may be entered when the court is satisfied from the evidence presented that there has been a breakdown of the marriage relationship to the extent that the legitimate objects of matrimony have been destroyed and there remains no reasonable *871likelihood that the marriage can be preserved.”
Under this statute, which also repealed all other causes for divorce, the Iowa court held that the fault concept, as a standard for granting a divorce and as a factor in awarding a property settlement or alimony, was eliminated. This state did not eliminate the other causes for divorce as did Iowa and it is my opinion that, under our law as amended, we have both the fault concept and the no-fault concept available as grounds for divorce. However, as I view the findings of the trial court in this case, it has found, based on the evidence adduced, that the fault standard of extreme cruelty as alleged in the complaint was proven. On this basis I agree with the majority that in determining a division of the property it was proper to review this case in light of the fault of the defendant and that the evidence is sufficient to support the property division made by the court based, in part, on the conduct of the parties during their marriage.