Divorce Law Glossary: Key Legal Terms and Definitions

Divorce proceedings involve a precise vocabulary drawn from family law statutes, court rules, and uniform acts adopted across U.S. jurisdictions. Fluency with these terms is essential for understanding court documents, attorney communications, and settlement negotiations. This glossary defines the foundational legal concepts that appear across the full arc of a dissolution case, from initial filing through post-decree enforcement. Each definition reflects the legal standards applied in U.S. state courts, with reference to governing uniform laws and statutory frameworks.

Definition and Scope

Divorce law terminology spans procedural, substantive, and equitable concepts that operate simultaneously within a single case. Because family law is governed almost entirely at the state level — with limited federal involvement through statutes such as the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) for retirement assets — definitions can vary in specific application from state to state, even when the core concept is uniform. The Uniform Law Commission (ULC) has produced model acts — including the Uniform Marriage and Divorce Act (UMDA) and the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (UIFSA) — that inform how most states define and apply these terms.

The glossary below is organized by functional area: status and grounds terms, procedural terms, property and financial terms, and child-related terms. A working understanding of the full divorce law overview for the U.S. provides the structural context within which these definitions operate.

Core Status and Grounds Terms

• Dissolution of marriage — The legal termination of a valid marriage by court decree. Functionally synonymous with "divorce" in most state codes.
• No-fault divorce — A dissolution granted without requiring either party to prove marital misconduct. All 50 states permit no-fault divorce; the grounds are typically cited as "irreconcilable differences" or "irretrievable breakdown." For a comparison of fault and no-fault frameworks, see No-Fault vs. Fault Divorce.
• Fault divorce — A dissolution premised on misconduct by one spouse, such as adultery, abandonment, or cruelty. Available in a subset of states alongside no-fault grounds; fault findings can influence property division or alimony in those jurisdictions.
• Annulment — A court declaration that a marriage was void or voidable from its inception, distinct from divorce in that it treats the marriage as legally non-existent. Grounds include fraud, bigamy, and lack of capacity. See Annulment vs. Divorce for classification distinctions.
• Legal separation — A court-ordered arrangement that defines the rights and obligations of spouses who live apart but remain legally married. Addressed in Legal Separation vs. Divorce.
• Covenant marriage — A marriage form available in 3 states (Arizona, Arkansas, and Louisiana) that imposes stricter dissolution requirements, including mandatory counseling and limited fault-based grounds.

How It Works

Divorce proceedings move through a structured sequence. The terminology used at each stage reflects the procedural posture of the case.

Procedural Phase Terms

1. Petition — The initiating document filed by the petitioner (also called the plaintiff) to request dissolution. The petition states grounds, identifies the parties, and outlines relief sought.
2. Respondent — The spouse who receives the petition and has the opportunity to file a response. Also called the defendant in some jurisdictions.
3. Summons — The court-issued notice served on the respondent, establishing the court's jurisdiction over the person.
4. Jurisdiction — The court's legal authority to hear the case. Divorce jurisdiction requires both subject matter jurisdiction (authority over marriage dissolution) and personal jurisdiction over both parties. See Divorce Jurisdiction Requirements and Residency Requirements for Divorce by State.
5. Temporary orders — Court directives issued before final judgment to address immediate issues such as child custody, support, and use of the marital home. Governed by Temporary Orders in Divorce.
6. Discovery — The pre-trial process through which parties exchange financial and other relevant information. Includes interrogatories, depositions, and subpoenas. See Discovery in Divorce Proceedings.
7. Contested vs. uncontested divorce — A contested divorce involves unresolved disputes requiring judicial determination; an uncontested divorce reflects agreement on all material issues. The distinction drives procedural complexity and cost. See Contested vs. Uncontested Divorce.
8. Divorce decree — The final court order dissolving the marriage and establishing the parties' post-marital rights and obligations.
9. Marital settlement agreement (MSA) — A written contract between the parties resolving property, support, and, where permitted, custody issues. Once incorporated into the decree, it carries court-enforcement authority. See Divorce Settlement Agreements.

Common Scenarios

The following terms arise with high frequency across specific categories of divorce cases.

Property and Financial Terms

• Marital property — Assets and debts acquired during the marriage that are subject to division at divorce. Defined differently under community property and equitable distribution frameworks. See Marital Property Division Laws.
• Separate property — Assets owned by one spouse before marriage, or received during marriage by gift or inheritance, generally excluded from division. See Separate vs. Marital Property in Divorce.
• Community property — In 9 states (Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin), marital assets are presumptively owned 50/50 and divided equally at divorce. See Community Property States and Divorce.
• Equitable distribution — The framework used in the remaining states, under which marital assets are divided fairly but not necessarily equally, based on statutory factors. See Equitable Distribution States.
• QDRO (Qualified Domestic Relations Order) — A court order that divides a retirement account governed by ERISA without triggering early withdrawal penalties. Required for 401(k) plans and pension plans. Governed by ERISA §206(d)(3) and explained in detail at QDRO: Retirement Assets in Divorce.
• Alimony / Spousal support — Court-ordered financial payments from one spouse to the other following divorce. Types include temporary, rehabilitative, permanent, and reimbursement alimony, depending on state law. See Spousal Support and Alimony Law.
• Dissipation — The wasteful or fraudulent spending of marital assets by one spouse in anticipation of divorce. Courts may assign dissipated amounts as a credit against the dissipating spouse's share.

Child-Related Terms

• Legal custody — The authority to make major decisions about a child's education, health care, and religious upbringing. May be sole or joint. See Legal vs. Physical Custody Distinctions.
• Physical custody — The designation of the child's primary residential placement. Joint physical custody involves substantial parenting time with both parents.
• Best interests of the child — The governing standard in child custody determinations across all U.S. jurisdictions, derived from the UMDA and codified in each state's family code. See Best Interests of the Child Standard.
• Parenting plan — A detailed written agreement or court order specifying parenting time, decision-making authority, and communication protocols. See Parenting Plans and Custody Agreements.
• Child support — Periodic payments from the non-custodial parent to support the child's expenses, calculated under state income-shares or percentage-of-income models in compliance with federal Title IV-D requirements (45 C.F.R. Part 302). See Child Support Laws and Guidelines.
• Guardian ad litem (GAL) — A court-appointed individual who represents the best interests of a minor child in custody proceedings, distinct from the child's own attorney. See Guardians Ad Litem in Divorce.
• UCCJEA — The Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act, adopted in 49 states and the District of Columbia, governs which state has jurisdiction to issue and modify custody orders. See UCCJEA: Child Custody Jurisdiction.

Decision Boundaries

Several paired terms are frequently confused in divorce proceedings. The distinctions below clarify the operative legal boundaries.

Void vs. Voidable Marriage
A void marriage (e.g., bigamous or incestuous) is invalid from inception and requires no court action to dissolve, though an annulment decree may be sought for record clarity. A voidable marriage is valid unless and until one party successfully petitions for annulment on qualifying grounds such as fraud or duress. This distinction governs whether annulment or divorce is the appropriate remedy.

Mediation vs. Collaborative Divorce vs. Litigation
These three process types represent distinct resolution pathways:

1. Mediation — A neutral third-party mediator facilitates negotiation but has no authority to impose a resolution. The mediator's role is governed by state alternative dispute resolution (ADR) statutes. See [Divorce Mediation: U.S. Legal Process](/