Anyone remember when the wife stayed in Reno for 6 weeks so she could file for divorce?

[bobbieinok]

The husband was the bread-winner, so he stayed at home at his job. And maybe with his 'sweetie', who was one of the reasons for the divorce.

Nevada had the easiest divorce laws. Of course, only well-off couples could afford to do this.

The trip to/stay in Reno was a frequent plot element in movies and novels, especially mysteries.

[gratuitous]

1. Billy Joel wrote a song about it

Now she's headin' out to California
Been a long time comin' but she's feeling like a woman tonight
And she left a little letter said she's gonna make a stop in Nevada
Good-bye, good-bye

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

2. Because most states had absurdly restrictive divorce laws.

In some states (New York comes to mind) essentially the only way you could get a divorce was for the cops to catch one of the spouses in bed with someone they weren't married to. There was something of an underground industry of setting up such a "catch".

When I lived in Virginia in the 1970s, a couple had to live apart and not have sex at all for at least a year to even file for divorce. If one of the two simply didn't want to divorce, it often wasn't that difficult to lure the other into bed to restart the time line. There was often a lot of nonsense about one refusing to sign the paperwork. In many states, maybe all of them, a divorce will become final after some specific period of time regardless of signature.

But yeah, the trip to Reno was a great plot element.

[bobbieinok]

4. As a kid in the 50s now and then I saw something about a person being caught in NY and not understan

[mnhtnbb]

3. It is still the law in North Carolina that a couple must be physically separated for a year

before one can file for divorce. And that doesn't mean living in two separate bedrooms in the same house. AND for 6 months prior to filing, one must have lived in the state.

I know because my clock is now on month 10 ticking down until I can file for divorce having been separated since last November. It's an outrageous hindrance to being able to move on with your life.

[Major Nikon]

9. The government shouldn't be in the marriage business

...and consequently not in the divorce business. A marriage is a pact between two people. Those two people can elect to sign a contract between themselves, or not. There's absolutely no reason for the government to certify such an arrangement.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

10. What would you suggest in place of the government?

There needs to be some sort of system for dividing property and providing for minor children.

[llmart]

11. Glad I left that state!

What an outdated notion in the year 2018. NC - moving backwards as always.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

12. Oh, dear lord.

I'm horrified that any state still has the year long separation nonsense.

A requirement to have lived in the state six months before would seem to be in place to keep someone from moving there just in time to get a "quickie" divorce. But the year separation alone makes for a slow divorce.

I wonder if a lot of North Carolinians go elsewhere for a divorce.

I'd been living in Kansas for more than 15 years before my marriage came to an end. Kansas does not have stupid separation requirements, and I think you only need to have lived there for 90 days to file for divorce. It was reasonably straightforward.

[Golden Raisin]

5. See MGM's 'The Women' (1939), directed by George Cukor.

A somewhat dated period piece now, with an all-star, all-female cast. Much of the plot takes place in and revolves around wives heading to Reno for divorces.

[NBachers]

6. "The Misfits" with Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable, Eli Wallach, Thelma Ritter, and Montgomery Clift

A Reno divorce boarding house for women figures prominently in this movie. Some love this movie; some pan it, I think it's great.

[JohnnyLib2]

7. Grew up there.

It was an accepted part of life, along with brothels. I knew several older folks who had worked at "dude ranches" for divorcing, wealthy women.

[DFW]

8. I don't remember that too well

Probably because I've never been to Reno, and have never contemplated divorce. There must be SOMETHING else to do there......

[CaliforniaPeggy]

13. Well, you can always gamble!

[DFW]

14. I don't even do that

That's why Republicans hate getting into arguments with me. I am by nature risk averse, and avoid addictions, such as alcohol, tobacco and gambling. In other words, I am far more conservative than most Republicans are. After 20 plus year of Fox Noise, they just don't know enough English any more to know what the word really means.

[irisblue]

15. Desert Hearts, 1985 movie.

starring Patricia Charbonneau and Helen Shaver. A romantic drama, about a love story that happens over the 6 week waiting period for a divorce.