{"id":2598873,"date":"2026-05-05T09:18:56","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T13:18:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/americans-divorced-against-their-will-seek-redress-from-states-corrupted-by-family-separation-industry\/"},"modified":"2026-05-05T09:21:41","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T13:21:41","slug":"americans-divorced-against-their-will-seek-redress-from-states-corrupted-by-family-separation-industry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/americans-divorced-against-their-will-seek-redress-from-states-corrupted-by-family-separation-industry\/","title":{"rendered":"Divorce Laws Shouldn&#8217;t Punish Spouses Fighting To Save Marriages"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Famericans-divorced-against-their-will-seek-redress-from-states-corrupted-by-family-separation-industry%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2598873&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>For more than half a century, the article argues, America\u2019s no-fault divorce system has harmed spouses and families by allowing one partner to end a marriage without proving fault, while still forcing courts to address property and child custody. It centers on Mary Bowen, a 67-year-old Texas teacher whose husband filed for divorce after nearly 30 years together. She challenges Texas\u2019s no-fault divorce law in federal court, claiming it violates the U.S. Constitution by discriminating in favor of the spouse seeking divorce, infringing her religious beliefs, and failing to <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >provide adequate procedural safeguards<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The piece describes the emotional, financial, and physical toll the author says divorce inflicts on adults and children, citing research and broader social effects such as increased poverty, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rnc-chair-condemns-biden-abortion-policy\/\" title=\"RNC chair condemns Biden abortion policy\">mental health problems<\/a>, family breakdown, and reduced marriage rates. It adds that Bowen faced obstacles in state court and that Texas\u2019s attorney general sought to move her case back to state court, a decision one <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/education-insanity-top-10-stories-of-the-week-vol-25\/\" title=\"Education Insanity: Top 10 Stories Of The Week (Vol. 25)\">federal judge upheld<\/a>; her appeal is pending.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond Bowen, the article points to other alleged instances of courts limiting religious freedom in divorce disputes, and argues that judges and legal professionals are incentivized in ways that sustain a faster path to marital dissolution. It concludes with Bowen-now representing herself-saying she is fighting not only for her own future, but also to help others.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>For nearly 60 years, divorce laws in America and those who enforce them have inflicted untold suffering on spouses seeking to preserve their marriage and families. Mary Bowen, a 67-year-old <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/treasury-secretary-janet-yellen-we-have-to-consider-rising-inflation-rates-when-doing-stimulus-package\/\" title=\"Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen: \u2018We Have To Consider\u2019 Rising Inflation Rates When Doing Stimulus Package\">elementary school teacher<\/a>, is the latest victim. <\/p>\n<p>After her husband of nearly 30 years <a href=\"https:\/\/records.co.bastrop.tx.us\/PublicAccess\/CaseDetail.aspx?CaseID=735055\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">filed<\/a> for divorce, she brought an action in <a href=\"https:\/\/dockets.justia.com\/docket\/texas\/txwdce\/1:2025cv01850\/1172875785\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">federal<\/a> court challenging the constitutionality of Texas\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/statutes.capitol.texas.gov\/?tab=1&#038;code=FA&#038;chapter=FA.6&#038;artSec=6.504\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">no-fault divorce statute<\/a>. She contends the law discriminates in favor of those abandoning their marriages and infringes upon her <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/sweeping-lgbt-bill-passes-house-gop-lawmaker-vows-to-fight-in-the-courts-and-beyond-if-it-becomes-law\/\" title=\"Sweeping LGBT Bill Passes House, GOP Lawmaker Vows To Fight \u2018In The Courts And Beyond\u2019 If It Becomes Law\">deeply held religious beliefs<\/a>. These laws clearly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/opinion\/2628675\/what-fifty-years-of-no-fault-divorce-has-gotten-us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">violate<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/constitution.congress.gov\/browse\/essay\/amdt14-S1-3\/ALDE_00013743\/#:~:text=No%2520State%2520shall%2520make%2520or,equal%2520protection%2520of%2520the%2520laws.&#038;text=See%2520Amdt14.,-S1.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">due process<\/a> as well; defendants never win and aren\u2019t afforded sufficient procedural safeguards.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe is ripping a marriage apart,\u201d Bowen told me when we spoke about her husband. \u201cIt\u2019s a form of abortion. Nobody gets over it.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Yet marriage constitutes a fundamental right. While it has been protected legally through application of the <a href=\"https:\/\/constitution.congress.gov\/browse\/essay\/amdt14-S1-6-3-5\/ALDE_00013819\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">14th Amendment<\/a>, the right actually derives from <a href=\"https:\/\/wheatley.byu.edu\/family\/why-marriage-matters-a-natural-law-perspective-on-marriage-and-family-life\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">natural law<\/a>. No-fault <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalaffairs.com\/publications\/detail\/the-evolution-of-divorce\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">divorce<\/a> exists in all 50 states. In 48, the laws are unilateral, annihilating the right of marriage by granting divorce on the demand of only one spouse, without cause, no questions asked. Consequently, courts force the division of property and children. <\/p>\n<p>The toll has been catastrophic. Men, women, and children <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/roomfordebate\/2013\/02\/13\/when-divorce-is-a-family-affair\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">suffer<\/a> on every level of wellness \u2014 physical, emotional, and financial. <a href=\"https:\/\/ifstudies.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Negative consequences<\/a> include poverty, suicide, depression, substance abuse, juvenile delinquency, decreased <a href=\"https:\/\/www.longevity-project.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">longevity<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ummhealth.org\/health-library\/what-to-know-about-abandonment-trauma\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">trauma<\/a> \u2014 you name it. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Boys-Men-Modern-Struggling-Matters\/dp\/0815739877\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Fatherless<\/a> homes persist. Family breakdown is associated with school <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/09\/03\/no-one-is-talking-about-the-direct-pipeline-from-divorced-parents-to-school-shooters\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">shooters<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC4240051\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Children<\/a> are not OK, and research debunks the <a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC4240051\/#:~:text=The%2520precipitating%2520causes%2520of%2520divorce,of%2520the%2520child's%2520biologic%2520family.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">myth<\/a> of the \u201cresilient child,\u201d with suffering extending well into <a href=\"https:\/\/ifstudies.org\/blog\/the-adult-children-of-divorce-find-their-voice\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">adulthood<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>No-fault divorce also helped drive the marriage rate to its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncregister.com\/features\/beverly-willett-atlanta-retreat\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">lowest<\/a> point in history, even though marriage produces <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Get-Married-Americans-Families-Civilization\/dp\/0063210851\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">flourishing<\/a> families and safe communities. And far too many people are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalaffairs.com\/publications\/detail\/the-evolution-of-divorce\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">divorced<\/a> against their will. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo-fault divorce is ripe for a constitutional challenge,\u201d said an attorney for the Thomas <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thomasmoresociety.org\/news\/children-are-real-victims-of-no-fault-divorce-thomas-more-society-urges-court-to-consider-divorces-devastating-effects\">More<\/a> Society, which filed an amicus curiae <a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.prod.website-files.com\/63d954d4e4ad424df7819d46\/669696b56de317f059b44611_Nebraska-Brief-Amicus-Replacement.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">brief<\/a> on behalf of a family breakdown expert in a similar constitutional challenge. <\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, it\u2019s a national scandal nobody wants to address, including many conservatives, even though the judicial system sides with spouses who abandon their families. Dare to speak up, and those in charge of the system will also galvanize to bring you down. The pressure can be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/no-fault-divorce-my-fight-to-save-my-marriage\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">relentless<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p> After getting the run-around in state court when she tried to file her papers, Bowen turned to the federal court for help, only to have the Texas attorney general\u2019s office pop up and file a motion to force her back to state court so the divorce could move forward. A federal judge agreed. Bowen\u2019s appeal is pending. <\/p>\n<p>If she loses, will the attorney general\u2019s office try to stop Bowen from raising her claims in state court too? The office ignored my emails offering an opportunity to weigh in. <\/p>\n<p>Bowen and her husband married in the Catholic Church, which considers marriage to be for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vatican.va\/content\/catechism\/en\/part_two\/section_two\/chapter_three\/article_7\/v_the_goods_and_requirements_of_conjugal_love.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">life<\/a>. \u201cI never had any doubt that my marriage was ordained and that I\u2019m married to the person that God chose for me,\u201d Bowen said.<\/p>\n<p>Indeed, the Supreme Court has <a href=\"https:\/\/supreme.justia.com\/cases\/federal\/us\/576\/644\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">held<\/a> that \u201c[m]arriage is sacred to those who live by their religions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But marriage \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncregister.com\/features\/beverly-willett-atlanta-retreat\">standers<\/a>\u201d in our culture, like Bowen, are routinely called \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.jezebel.com\/woman-refused-to-divorce-her-husband-for-five-crazy-yea-5626250\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">crazy<\/a>.\u201d And states like Texas mandate enforcement of their laws, which hold that marriage is impermanent. Some courts practically jeer at spouses who even bring it up. In Maryland, for example, an appeals court recently <a href=\"https:\/\/public.fastcase.com\/Wl%2B2t%2BeVuI35%2FN70vAMFZpcqghHIfKLI9ysoocCnKkT8OsTI0gLHt2%2Fv7x7aC%2FAn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">struck<\/a> down claims that no-fault divorce infringed upon a husband\u2019s religious rights and belief in marriage permanency. The court pointed out that Toufic Melki was still free to exercise his \u201cconstitutional prerogative\u201d and pretend he and his wife were still married. <\/p>\n<p>Mike Dycus, who lost his <a href=\"https:\/\/law.justia.com\/cases\/nebraska\/supreme-court\/2020\/s-19-853.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Nebraska<\/a> constitutional challenge, told me a judge jailed him for contempt when he refused to sign divorce papers that contravened his Catholic beliefs.<\/p>\n<p>Before she retired, a divorced and remarried Jewish Brooklyn court judge reportedly <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2015\/01\/22\/judge-gets-to-preside-over-strikingly-similar-divorce-case\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">threatened<\/a> a rabbi that if he didn\u2019t give his wife a religious \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.chabad.org\/library\/article_cdo\/aid\/557906\/jewish\/Jewish-Divorce-What-Is-a-Get.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">get<\/a>\u201d allowing her to remarry, she\u2019d make him pay alimony for life. <\/p>\n<p>After retaining two attorneys and feeling like they ignored her wishes, Bowen now represents herself. She\u2019s terrified and overwhelmed and feels like she\u2019s being pulled along on a conveyor belt. She recently established a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.givesendgo.com\/SanctusFamily\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">GiveSendGo<\/a> account because she needs financial help. Pro se spouses like her are routinely treated <a href=\"https:\/\/lawreview.uchicago.edu\/print-archive\/empirical-patterns-pro-se-litigation-federal-district-courts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">unfairly<\/a> and looked down upon by judges too. <\/p>\n<p>Decades ago, Judith Brumbaugh, one of the first such pioneers, wrote a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Judge-Please-Strike-Gavel-Marriage\/dp\/0962460303\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">memoir<\/a> about the judicial system\u2019s hostility toward her. She was ordered to vacate her home, became nearly destitute, and built a faith-based <a href=\"https:\/\/www.restorationofthefamily.org\/about-us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ministry<\/a> to help families, which is still active after her death. <\/p>\n<p>Actor and producer Greg Ellis wrote a harrowing <a href=\"https:\/\/ifstudies.org\/blog\/5-questions-with-family-studies-greg-ellis-on-americas-broken-family-law-system-\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">portrait<\/a> of the family law system, which seemingly overnight dismantled his family, career, and finances. He was eventually exonerated.<\/p>\n<p>At 67, Bowen has no time to \u201creinvent\u201d herself and worries she\u2019ll lose her home, along with half her \u201cmeager teacher retirement.\u201d Research supports her <a href=\"https:\/\/money.usnews.com\/money\/personal-finance\/family-finance\/articles\/2017-08-14\/why-women-should-rethink-their-finances-after-divorce\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">fears<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy father fought in World War II,\u201d she told me. \u201cThis is my country. This is my freedom, my liberty. That judge? He\u2019s my public servant.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Jeff Morgan, who filed a constitutional <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/08\/18\/meet-the-man-suing-to-stop-no-fault-divorce-in-texas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">challenge<\/a> to Texas\u2019 no-fault divorce law a few months before Bowen, can\u2019t get a judge to hear his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dallascounty.org\/services\/record-search\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">case<\/a>. Four Texas judges in rapid succession voluntarily recused themselves, without explanation. Like Bowen, he\u2019s in limbo and hopes his health holds out. He told me he\u2019s already had one heart attack scare, which his doctor attributed to stress.<\/p>\n<p>So why are judges and lawyers across the nation so gung-ho to sever marriages, protect parties who walk out on their marriage and families, and skewer the innocent? It\u2019s not hard to make an educated guess.<\/p>\n<p>The passage of no-fault divorce brought an explosion of the matrimonial bar and skyrocketing divorce rates. Ten years ago, estimates placed the value of this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt2636456\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">profit-driven<\/a> industry at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=QUMAyLIx5I0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">$50 billion<\/a> a year \u2014 a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt2636456\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">cash cow<\/a> built off the backs of broken American families.<\/p>\n<p>Despite what they\u2019ve gone through, Bowen and Morgan still pray for reconciliation. And, no, that doesn\u2019t make them crazy either. Most marriages are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/archives\/la-xpm-2001-jul-09-cl-20178-story.html#:~:text=After%2520examining%2520300%2520marriages%2520that,%2525%2520of%2520high%252Dconflict%2520unions.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">low-conflict<\/a> with good chances for reconciliation. That even goes for spouses in seemingly impossibly difficult <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Impossible-Marriages-Redeemed-Didnt-Middle\/dp\/0997989327\/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">marriages.<\/a> <\/p>\n<p>But even if she and her husband fail to reunite, Bowen says her constitutional challenge isn\u2019t all about her. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf this\u2019ll help one person besides me, it\u2019ll have been worth it,\u201d she said tearfully.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>      A former New York City litigator and copyright attorney, Beverly Willett is the author of the legal thriller in process \u201cNobody\u2019s Fault,\u201d about a constitutional challenge to no-fault divorce. Her memoir, \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/1642931500\/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&#038;ie=UTF8&#038;qid=1551102625&#038;sr=1-1&#038;keywords=Beverly+Willett\">Disassembly Required: A Memoir of Midlife Resurrection<\/a>,\u201d was released by Post Hill Press in 2019. She has written for The New York Times, USA Today, The Washington Post, The Washington Examiner, First Things, The National Catholic Register, and more. She also cofounded the Coalition for Divorce Reform. Contact her at <a href=\"https:\/\/beverlywillett.com\/\">beverlywillett.com<\/a> and follow her on X <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/BeverlyWillett\">@BeverlyWillett<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For nearly 60 years, U.S. divorce laws have caused suffering, and 67-year-old Mary Bowen is the latest victim<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2799,"featured_media":2598874,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Person-Holding-Gold-Wedding-Band.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[79120,36890,43031,79121,79122],"class_list":["post-2598873","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-divorce-law","tag-family-law","tag-legal-reform","tag-marriage-counseling","tag-spousal-rights"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Person-Holding-Gold-Wedding-Band.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2598873","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2799"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2598873"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2598873\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2598877,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2598873\/revisions\/2598877"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2598874"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2598873"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2598873"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2598873"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}