New Jersey just streamlined no-fault divorce, following the lead of many other states, including Florida.

Previously, a New Jersey couple had to live separately for 18 months. Now, a New Jersey couple need only have irreconcilable differences for 6 months.

One significant side benefit of the changes is that lower income couples can remain in the same household until property division and spousal support orders are entered.

New Jersey still offers fault-based grounds for relatively fast divorces, but this new, streamlined procedure reduces the need to utilize such adversarial measures simply to obtain a relatively prompt divorce.

It will be interesting to see whether this measure has any influence on New Jersey’s neighbor, New York state.

Read more in this New Jersey Star Ledger article: ‘Irreconcilable differences’ offers faster, more humane divorce.