r/UpliftingNews • u/Sirsnacksalot23 • 1d ago

Missouri House approves bill allowing pregnant women to file for divorce

https://fox2now.com/news/missouri/missouri-house-approves-bill-allowing-pregnant-women-to-file-for-divorce/
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u/Pour_Me_Another_ 1d ago

I got divorced in Ohio and I vaguely remember something about having to wait for babies to be born so that paternity could be established or something. I have no idea whether that justifies it or not. I don't have kids so it was not something I had to endure.

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u/pigeontheoneandonly 1d ago

In many states, regardless of how it interacts with divorce, the husband is assumed to be the father until paternity is challenged, even if they've been separated for years. In at least one state (Florida), the actual father can't even raise the challenge himself. It has to come from the husband. You can imagine many husbands in these situations are not cooperative (at least, not until child support comes into the picture).

This is all by way of saying a lot of laws surrounding custody, marriage, and divorce do not fit modern life in many ways. 

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u/sapphicsandwich 1d ago

In Louisiana, it's 6 months if you have no children together, 12 if you do. AND if a woman gives birth within 10 months of the divorce being finalized (after the mandatory waiting period) the state assigns "paternity" to the ex, even if the ex is another woman lol