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Divorce Over Religious Differences

When people in New Jersey choose to get divorced, there are many issues to consider. First and foremost is to think about the reason why they are getting divorced in the first place. In many circumstances, the marriage is dissolving for an obvious reason such as adultery, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, deviant sexual conduct, abandonment, physical and emotional abuse, financial abuse, and many other reasons.

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When filing for divorce in New Jersey, there must be a reason given for it to be “fault” with one of the problems listed above as the grounds for divorce, or it can be “no fault” with the all-encompassing term “irreconcilable differences” as the justification for a divorce. For irreconcilable differences to be accepted as the reason for divorce, the couple must have experienced a continuous decline in the quality of the marriage to the point that there is no possible way to salvage it.

If a New Jersey couple is divorcing there are a few thing that they are required to do. They must file all the necessary paperwork and they must establish residency in New Jersey. A couple must be prepared for the long and painful process that involves ending a marriage. They have to disclose all assets and debts while being prepared to have to split the proceeds of the marriage. One spouse might have to pay alimony to ensure the upkeep of the other and if there are children, child support must be paid.

While the above-listed reasons for divorce and aftereffects of the filing are profound, there are times that issues cannot be overcome to salvage the marriage. There are occasions where there are no allegations of abuse and the couple gets along relatively well, but cannot stay married due to religious differences that make it impossible to continue in the marriage.

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Religious Differences That Can Lead To Divorce

Marriages of different religions do not necessarily have to be difficult even if the participants are somewhat observant of their traditions. If one person is Jewish and the other Catholic, there's no reason that both religions cannot be adhered to and a happy home maintained. If, however, the marriage becomes strained due to a suddenly increased adherence to the tenets of one or the other's religion, it can lead to problems within the marriage that can lead to divorce. This can even occur in a marriage that has two people of the same religion if one suddenly becomes heavily invested in the religion and follows its rules more closely and the other chooses not to.

For example, a devout member of the Jewish faith is going to eat a different kind of food than a more progressive one. A Jewish person who decides to attend synagogue on Friday nights and Saturday mornings and is no longer able to operate any machinery from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday could possibly cause tension in the marriage if the other spouse is less observant, for example, one of the children has to be taken to little league and the more observant spouse refuses to bring the child.

The type of school that the children attend can also become an issue with the increasing adherence to a certain religion. If the father wants the children to attend public school and the mother wants them to attend Catholic school, this can cause tension between the two not just based on theoretical religion, but also due to finances because Catholic schools are generally private and must be paid for to attend. It is in circumstances such as these that the marriage will have a hard time holding together and, if the conflict continues, divorce may be the only option for long-term happiness.

Contact An Experienced NJ Divorce Attorney

No matter the reason for a marriage ending, it can be a difficult and emotional time. If it is due to what was once a happy home suddenly becoming tension-filled and impossible to maintain because of religious differences, divorce may be the only choice.

Other Resources - Religious Differences

Divorce Over Sexual Incompatibility

Abandonment: What Does It Mean?

New Jersey Child Custody Lawyers

Starting The Divorce Process In New Jersey


Regardless of whether you reside in Monmouth County, Ocean County or anywhere else in New Jersey and if you are contemplating a divorce over religious differences, Villani & DeLuca, P.C. can help you with filing your case to move on with your life. Call today at 732-751-4991 to set up an appointment for a consultation.

Vincent DeLuca, Esq.

As a founding partner at Villani & DeLuca, Vincent DeLuca is one of only a few Certified Matrimonial Law Attorney in Ocean County, New Jersey. Mr. DeLuca has helped many clients navigate the delicate details of their own divorce. Mr. DeLuca is also a trained divorce mediator and collaborative divorce attorney. Call today at (732) 751-4991 to speak to Mr. DeLuca or one of our experienced NJ Divorce Lawyers.

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