Domestic violence is the cruel and barbarous treatment of one spouse by the other. Profane and abusive language are often inadequate to substantiate “cruel and barbarous treatment” as grounds for divorce. You need to prove that your spouse inflicted specific acts of cruelty that could endanger your life and impair your health.
However, psychological, emotional and verbal abuse can cause as much damage as domestic violence, sometimes more. These forms of domestic abuse can make life so unbearable that the abused spouse suffers overwhelming psychological trauma and can no longer tolerate their married life. The problem is that these do not start as tangible physical acts, making them more challenging to prove. Fortunately, you can file for divorce in Arkansas on the grounds of general indignities.
What are general indignities?
General indignities in the context of an Arkansas divorce refer to any treatment of one spouse to the other that causes the other to lose their dignity. It is a broad term that encapsulates all forms of spousal hate and alienation. It can manifest in any of the following ways:
- Rudeness toward you
- Being mean to you
- Verbally abusing you
- Ridiculing you
- Insulting you
- Neglecting and ignoring you
- Showing hatred and resentment toward you
- Exhibiting unmerited disapproval and disappointment toward you
Their treatment should be consistent and pervasive enough to render your marriage and life unbearable.
Indignity is a form of cruelty
Marriage should be a commitment. But how can you live a life where the person you promise to cherish and to hold is constantly berating and demeaning you? You should not tolerate any form of cruelty, especially from your spouse. They are your life partner, not your critic.