                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

GROUNDS FOR DIVORCE FROM BOND OF MATRIMONY; CONTENTS OF DECREE (§ 20-91)

A. A divorce from the bond of matrimony may be decreed:

   1. For adultery; or for sodomy or buggery committed outside the marriage;

   2. [Repealed.]

   3. Where either of the parties subsequent to the marriage has been convicted
   of a felony, sentenced to confinement for more than one year and confined for
   such felony subsequent to such conviction, and cohabitation has not been
   resumed after knowledge of such confinement (in which case no pardon granted
   to the party so sentenced shall restore such party to his conjugal rights);
   				(4),  (5) [Repealed.]

   6. Where either party has been guilty of cruelty, caused reasonable
   apprehension of bodily hurt, or willfully deserted or abandoned the other,
   such divorce may be decreed to the innocent party after a period of one year
   from the date of such act; or
   				(7),  (8) [Repealed.]

   9. (a) On the application of either party if and when they have lived separate
   and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for one year. In
   any case where the parties have entered into a separation agreement and there
   are no minor children either born of the parties, born of either party and
   adopted by the other or adopted by both parties, a divorce may be decreed on
   application if and when they have lived separately and apart without
   cohabitation and without interruption for six months. A plea of res adjudicata
   or of recrimination with respect to any other provision of this section shall
   not be a bar to either party obtaining a divorce on this ground; nor shall it
   be a bar that either party has been adjudged insane, either before or after
   such separation has commenced, but at the expiration of one year or six
   months, whichever is applicable, from the commencement of such separation, the
   grounds for divorce shall be deemed to be complete, and the committee of the
   insane defendant, if there be one, shall be made a party to the cause, or if
   there be no committee, then the court shall appoint a guardian ad litem to
   represent the insane defendant.

      b. This subdivision (9) shall apply whether the separation commenced prior
      to its enactment or shall commence thereafter. Where otherwise valid, any
      decree of divorce hereinbefore entered by any court having equity
      jurisdiction pursuant to this subdivision (9), not appealed to the Supreme
      Court of Virginia, is hereby declared valid according to the terms of said
      decree notwithstanding the insanity of a party thereto.

      c. A decree of divorce granted pursuant to this subdivision (9) shall in no
      way lessen any obligation any party may otherwise have to support the spouse
      unless such party shall prove that there exists in the favor of such party
      some other ground of divorce under this section or &#xA7; 20-95.

B. A decree of divorce shall include each party&#8217;s social security number
or other control number issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles pursuant to
&#xA7; 46.2-342.

HISTORY: Code 1919, § 5103; 1926, p. 868; 1934, p. 20; 1952, c. 100; 1960, c.
108; 1962, c. 288; 1964, cc. 363, 648; 1970, c. 311; 1975, c. 644; 1982, c. 308;
1986, c. 397; 1988, c. 404; 1997, cc. 794, 898; 2020, cc. 270, 900.