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''[[United States]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[Pennsylvania Genealogy|Pennsylvania]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[Pennsylvania_Law_and_Legislation|Law and Legislation]]'' | ''[[United States]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[Pennsylvania Genealogy|Pennsylvania]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[Pennsylvania_Law_and_Legislation|Law and Legislation]]'' | ||
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For examples of the kind of helpful information available see: | For examples of the kind of helpful information available see: | ||
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Livengood, Candy Crocker. ''Genealogical Abstracts of the Laws of Pennsylvania and the Statutes at Large.'' Westminister, Maryland.: Family Line Pub., 1990. {{FSC|408852|item|disp=FS Library book 974.8 P38L}} It includes information about name changes, divorces, land disputes, pensions, etc. as found in the Laws of Pennsylvania and the Statutes at Large. | Livengood, Candy Crocker. ''Genealogical Abstracts of the Laws of Pennsylvania and the Statutes at Large.'' Westminister, Maryland.: Family Line Pub., 1990. {{FSC|408852|item|disp=FS Library book 974.8 P38L}} It includes information about name changes, divorces, land disputes, pensions, etc. as found in the Laws of Pennsylvania and the Statutes at Large. | ||
=== Divorce Records Laws === | |||
''State Library of Pennsylvania:''<br> | |||
*'''1682-1773''' Divorce could be granted by the Legislature or the Governor subject to royal veto by Royal Council. | |||
*'''1773-1784''' British Parliament forbade royal governors in America to grant divorces and the Legislature was the governing body to which pleas for divorce were submitted. | |||
*'''1785-1804''' Either the Supreme Court or the Legislature could act on divorce matters. | |||
*'''1804-present''' Divorce records have been kept in the Prothonotary's Office in the county where the divorce was granted. | |||
*'''1804-1874''' The Legislature, the Supreme Court, Circuit Courts and Courts of Common Pleas handled divorces. | |||
*'''1874-''' Courts of Common Pleas alone began to govern divorce action. | |||
Divorces were rare in colonial Pennsylvania during the Revolutionary War and early statehood. Some Pennsylvania divorces granted by the Legislative Assembly and the Supreme Court are in the Statutes At Large of Pennsylvania; Publications of the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, Vol. 1, No. 4, December 1898; and Record Group 33 at the Pennsylvania State Archives in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. This Record Group contains Supreme Court Divorce Papers, Eastern District, 1786-1815, arranged alphabetically; Supreme Court General Motions, 1750-1837, and Divorce Docket, 1800-1805, arranged by date. | |||
''Google AI Overview:''<br> in esponse to query "evolution of pennsylvana divorce laws"<ref>[https://www.google.com/search?q=evolution+of+pennsylvana+divorce+laws&oq=evolution+of+pennsylvana+divorce+laws&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIJCAEQIRgKGKABMgkIAhAhGAoYoAEyCQgDECEYChigATIJCAQQIRgKGKABMgkIBRAhGAoYoAEyCQgGECEYChirAjIJCAcQIRgKGKsCMgkICBAhGAoYqwIyBwgJECEYnwXSAQkzODgyajBqMTWoAgiwAgHxBYJGZnlbp72W8QWCRmZ5W6e9lg&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 Google AI Overview] in response to query "evolution of pennsylvana divorce laws" accessed 24 April 2025</ref><br> | |||
Pennsylvania's divorce laws have evolved significantly, moving from a fault-based system to a primarily no-fault system. The 1980 Divorce Code introduced no-fault divorce, allowing couples to divorce without proving fault. This was followed by amendments in 1988 that further streamlined the process. Currently, Pennsylvania primarily relies on the "no-fault" concept, requiring couples to state that their marriage has reached an "irretrievable breakdown". <b4> | |||
Key Milestones in Pennsylvania Divorce Law:<br> | |||
*'''Pre-1980''' Divorce in Pennsylvania required fault-based grounds, such as abandonment, adultery, cruelty, or bigamy. | |||
*'''1980-present''' The Divorce Code of 1980 introduced no-fault divorce, allowing couples to divorce without proving marital misconduct. | |||
*'''1988''' Amendments to the Divorce Code reduced the waiting period for a unilateral divorce from three years to two. | |||
''Changes and Impact:''<br> | |||
*The introduction of no-fault divorce aimed to eliminate the blame game associated with divorce and make the process more amicable. | |||
*The reduction in waiting periods for unilateral divorces has streamlined the process and made it more accessible. | |||
*The Family Law Arbitration Act offers an alternative to court proceedings, allowing parties to resolve disputes through arbitration. | |||
=== Vital Records Laws === | === Vital Records Laws === | ||
''Marriage Records'' <ref>[https://www.chesco.org/DocumentCenter/View/5828/Marriage-Records ''Guide to Pennsylvania Marriages''] by Chester County Archives, accessed 25 March 2025 </ref><br> | ''Marriage Records'' <ref>[https://www.chesco.org/DocumentCenter/View/5828/Marriage-Records ''Guide to Pennsylvania Marriages''] by Chester County Archives, accessed 25 March 2025 </ref><br> | ||
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*'''1913''' "An Act Regulating the issuance of licenses to marry," Laws of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, (1913). | *'''1913''' "An Act Regulating the issuance of licenses to marry," Laws of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, (1913). | ||
:*Made considerable changes to the application process | :*Made considerable changes to the application process | ||
''Birth, Marriages, Deaths''<br> | ''Birth, Marriages, Deaths''<br> | ||
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*1906: The state took over and maintains birth and death records to date. | *1906: The state took over and maintains birth and death records to date. | ||
*1953: The "Vital Statistics Law of 1953" was enacted, which provides for the administration of a statewide system of vital statistics. | *1953: The "Vital Statistics Law of 1953" was enacted, which provides for the administration of a statewide system of vital statistics. | ||
:*Ensure the proper safekeeping of original birth records after one hundred five (105) years and death records after fifty (50) years | |||
== References == | == References == | ||