Unusual Rules You Need To Know About Divorce In Wyoming

Divorces in Wyoming are a pretty common occurrence, so-much-so, in addition of being called the Cowboy State and Equality State, we could be called the Divorce State.

I'm not a lawyer, but the conversation comes up quite often around Wyoming, but I would suggest counseling over that mess. There's lots of information on the web about how big of a mess in can, and more times than not, will be.

Wyoming leads the pack for the most divorces per 1,000 people. 3.8 divorces per every 1,000 people in the state, considering the low population here, that means that about 4% of Wyoming is divorced. Overall 18,452 people over the age of 15 are divorced in Wyoming.

Had to say over 15, because in Wyoming, you can marry at the age of 16. Any younger than that isn't going to happen, and 16 has to have the approval of parents or guardians. Just last year the House Bill 07 raised the minimum marriage age, not needing consent, to the age of 18.

That makes the minimum age to get a divorce in Wyoming, 16.

If divorce is on the table, there are some interesting things you need to know. It's almost like getting a hunting license in Wyoming, there are restrictions and regulations you must follow.

Check some of these interesting facts about ending a marriage in Wyoming from Women's Law.org.

One party of the marriage must be a resident of Wyoming for at least days.
You can file for divorce, if the person you're divorcing has been confined to a mental facility at least 2 years before you filed.
You can choose to file for an annulment if your spouse is unable to have sexual relations with you due to physical incapacity, as long as you bring your case for annulment within two years of getting married.

Divorce is a messy situation, it happens obviously, but it's not a fun process. If you've been thinking it may come to that, since each state has different laws these are the basic steps that Women's Law.org has shared.

First, you or your spouse must meet the residency requirements of the state you want to file in.
Second, you must have “grounds” (a legally acceptable reason) to end your marriage.
Third, you must file the appropriate divorce papers and have copies sent to your spouse - for the exact rules for serving the papers, contact your local courthouse or an attorney.
Fourth, if your spouse disagrees with anything in the divorce papers, then s/he will have the opportunity to file papers telling her/his side. In his/her response, the other party may express his/her opinion challenging the divorce, asking that it be granted under different grounds or letting the judge know that s/he agrees to the divorce. If your spouse contests the divorce, then you may have a series of court appearances to sort the issues out. Also, if a certain period of time passes and your spouse does not sign the papers or file any papers of his/her own, you may be able to proceed with the divorce as an uncontested divorce anyway. (Speak to a lawyer in your state about how long you have to wait to see if your spouse answers before you can continue with the divorce.)
Fifth, if there are property, assets, a pension, debts, or anything else that you need divided, or if you need financial support from your spouse, then these issues may have to be dealt with during the divorce or else you may lose your chance to deal with these issues. The issues may be worked out during settlement negotiations and incorporated into the divorce decree or in a series of court hearings during the divorce. Custody and child support may also be decided as part of your divorce.