Arizona Won’t Extend Divorce Rate

As reported by the Associated Press, for the second time Arizona legislators have defeated a bill that would allow — or force, depending on who you ask — divorcing couples to wait longer before severing the marriage. Currently, the courts impose a 60-day waiting period before moving forward with a divorce application.

The bill, which was defeated 22-33 on April 7 and then again 27-28 for a reconsideration vote on April 9, would have allowed either spouse — provided they could demonstrate “good cause” — to ask the the courts for an extra 60 days, making the waiting period 120 days.

Disappointed supporters of the bill lament that the extra 60 days would have given couples valuable time to try and resolve issues and possibly avoid divorce. However, those against the bill argued that any extra time would have added stress and uncertainty for any children involved, and possibly worsened an already-troubled marriage, thereby rendering an inevitable divorce more acrimonious — or outright dangerous.