Divorce; adultery, filing, parties living separate and apart, report.

This legislation updates Virginia’s divorce laws by removing adultery as a specific ground for fault-based divorce. Under current state law, spouses can seek a divorce on the basis of adultery, which often necessitates invasive evidence and testimony in court. By streamlining the process to focus primarily on the period of time parties have lived separate and apart, this bill aims to modernize divorce proceedings and reduce the emotional and legal burden on families navigating separation. For residents in Arlington, this change simplifies the legal pathway to ending a marriage, potentially lowering the costs of litigation and reducing the hostility often associated with proving fault. It shifts the state’s approach toward a more straightforward, no-fault framework, emphasizing resolution over personal conduct.