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Show 252 Political and Civil Status of Women Civil 117. Status-Family Relations Marriage The laws of the various States governing marriage requirements generally do not differentiate between the sexes, except in establishing minimum ages. Most States set lower minimums for women than for When the consent of the parents is not required, the minimum age for women is 18 years in 34 States and the District of men. Columbia; 19, 20, or 21 in the remaining jurisdictions. With the consent of the parents, the minimum for girls is 16 in 38 States and the District of Columbia,15 in 6 States," and 14 in 4 States." In Washington the minimum age is 17 years. In New Hampshire a girl who marries below the age of 18 must have both the consent of her parents and All but 4 States 14 and the District of Columbia require a premarital health examination for both applicants for a marriage license. In those 5 jurisdictions the health examination is not required for either applicant. that of the court. 118. Divorce All States recognize divorce on at least one ground. Generally grounds for divorce ave the same for husband and wife, although some States recognize nonsupport as a ground for granting the wife a decree, and at least 14 States permit a man to seek a divorce on the . basis of his wife's pregnancy by another man at the time of their marriage. The most usual grounds for divorce are adultery, deser tion, cruelty, alcoholism, impotency, felony conviction, insanity, and neglect to provide. Other grounds which appear frequently are drug addiction, imprisonment, and commission of an infamous crime. Forty-eight States and the District of Columbia have statutes which provide that when divorce is granted permanent alimony may be a warded to the wife in the discretion of the court. (In North Carolina alimony is limited to divorce from bed and board.) Pennsylvania and Texas make no general provision for alimony on final decree, al though in Pennsylvania the court is empowered to decree alimony for the support of either an insane wife or an insane husband. tion to Pennsylvania, at least 7 States 15 with no In addi general provisionfor alimony to the husband on final decree may allow alimony for the Idaho, MiSSissippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon. Alabama, South Carolina, Texas, Utah. Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, South Carolina. 15 Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Kansas, Mississippi, Nebraska, Wyoming. 12 13 14 |
