In the US, marriage is a legal contract and hence when you wish to terminate it you need to do it in a legal manner. The termination of a marriage in a legal manner is referred to by different names in different parts of the US. The most common names are Divorce and Dissolution of Marriage.

As divorce in the U.S. is governed by state rather than federal law, you need to follow the laws of the state where you wish to file the divorce petition. For instance, if you reside in Alabama you simply cannot follow the divorce process of Kansas. Even though each US States have their own laws and regulations regarding the dissolution of marriage in a legal manner, normally a couple can get divorced via a court judgment.

Each US state has it own laws, codes, statutes and rules for handling divorce cases. To know about the Residency Requirements, Grounds for Divorce or Dissolution of Marriage, Legal Separation, Property Division, Child Custody, Child Support, Visitation, and Spousal Support or Alimony you need to have a clear picture of the laws of your State.

In most of the US states, you need to file a divorce petition and after court hearing, the judge will award a judicial decree which states the legal termination of marriage. After getting a divorce, both parties are free to lead their own lives. 

Each State in the USA has defined its own set of laws and regulations regarding the dissolution of marriage. These rules are basically similar but greatly differ on the basis of whether the particular State is liberal or conservative. When you decide to get divorced from your spouse, the first step should always be to gain proper knowledge. Once you are aware of the laws, the whole process of getting divorced becomes more easy and simple.

Most of the divorce laws in the different states of the USA are same, but there are minor differences in regards to custody of children, child support, alimony, spousal support, and premarital agreement and laws related to division of property. In some US States conversion divorce is allowed. It means when a couple live separately for a certain time period (each state has different law regarding the time period), then they can get a legal divorce automatically. But, in some of the US states this is known as legal separation and the couple needs to file a petition for divorce to legally terminate the institution of marriage. Similarly, in some US states there is the provision of no-fault divorce where there is no need of any allegation or proof of fault of either party to get the divorce order. But there are many states which do not have this concept. Hence, it becomes essential to be aware of the divorce laws in your state before taking any legal step.  

To help you understand US Divorce law, here is a useful video.

Reason behind the formation of such laws:

It is duty of any government to safeguard the rights of common people. When it comes to divorce, it is quite common that there will be conflict of opinions between the couple who want to come out from the institution of marriage. When there is conflict, the chances are also high of both the parties playing unfair games. For granting justice, special laws are formed on different aspects such as child support laws, laws regarding property distribution in divorce, and grounds for getting a divorce. These laws ensure that justice is provided and the rights of the people are maintained.

To help you understand the laws of divorce of different US states, here are some useful links for you:

For Alabama, click here.
For Alaska, click here.  
For Arizona, click here. 
For Arkansas, click here.  
For California, click here. 
For Colorado, click here.  
For Connecticut, click here.  
For Delaware, click here.  
For Florida, click here.  
For Georgia, click here. 
For Hawaii, click here.  
For Idaho, click here.  
For Illinois, click here.  
For Indiana, click here.  
For Iowa, click here.  
For Kansas, click here.  
For Kentucky, click here.  
For Louisiana, click here. 
For Massachusetts, click here.  
For Maryland, click here. 
For Maine, click here.  
For Michigan, click here.  
For Minnesota, click here.  
For Mississippi, click here.  
For Missouri, click here.  
For Montana, click here. 
For Nebraska, click here. 
For Nevada, click here.  
For New Hampshire, click here.  
For New Jersey, click here.  
For New Mexico, click here.  
For New York, click here. 
For North Carolina, click here.  
For North Dakota, click here.   
For Ohio, click here.  
For Oklahoma, click here.  
For Oregon, click here. 
For Pennsylvania, click here. 
For Rhode Island, click here.  
For South Carolina, click here.  
For South Dakota, click here. 
For Tennessee, click here. 
For Texas, click here.  
For Utah, click here. 
For Vermont, click here. 
For Virginia, click here.  
For Washington, click here. 
For West Virginia, click here. 
For Wisconsin, click here. 
For Wyoming, click here.  

To conclude, the legal termination of a marriage as a unit is always a painful process. However, when you are aware of the laws related to divorce process in your state, it becomes a little easier for you to handle.