Printable Format23-2706. Granting of decree mandatory; exceptions; denial of relief; orders authorized. The court shall grant a requested decree of divorce, separate maintenance or annulment unless the granting of the decree is discretionary under this act or unless the court finds that there are no grounds for the requested alteration of marital status. If a decree of divorce, separate maintenance or annulment is denied for lack of grounds, the court shall nevertheless, if application is made by one of the parties, make the orders authorized by articles 28, 29, 30 and 32 of chapter 23 of the Kansas Statutes Annotated, and amendments thereto.
History: L. 1963, ch. 303, 60-1606; L. 1975, ch. 303, § 1; L. 1982, ch. 152, § 6; L. 2011, ch. 26, § 42; L. 2012, ch. 162, § 37; May 31.
Source or Prior Law:
G.S. 1868, ch. 80, § 643; L. 1889, ch. 107, § 3; L. 1909, ch. 182, § 668; R.S. 1923, 60-1506, 60-1606.
Law Review and Bar Journal References:
"Divorce and Alimony Under the New Code," Dan Hopson, Jr., 12 K.L.R. 27, 33 (1963).
Possibility of circumscribing the usefulness of incompatibility as grounds for divorce, "Incompatibility: A 'New' Approach to the Dissolution of Marriage," R. E. Schulman, 20 K.L.R. 227, 237 (1971).
Article concerning no-fault divorce, 41 J.B.A.K. 129 (1972).
Comment concerning the incompatibility divorce, 14 W.L.J. 349, 352 (1975).
Wrongful death, Mark A. Buck, 17 W.L.J. 26, 27 (1977).
"Dissolution of Non-Marital Relationships," Charles F. Harris, J.K.T.L.A. Vol. XXII, No. 2, 18 (1998).
CASE ANNOTATIONS
Prior law cases, see G.S. 1949, K.S.A. 60-1506 and the 1961 Supplement thereto.
1. Authority of trial court in property division is limited to property owned at date of decree. In re Estate of Fults, 193 Kan. 491, 492, 494, 495, 496, 394 P.2d 32.
2. Cited in holding that court may not order support of stepchild by stepfather. Zeller v. Zeller, 195 Kan. 452, 456, 407 P.2d 478.
3. Section construed; third sentence not applicable in denial of separate maintenance to one party if other party is granted divorce. Zeller v. Zeller, 195 Kan. 452, 458, 407 P.2d 478.
4. Statute creates fixed rule, without exception. Moran v. Moran, 196 Kan. 380, 382, 411 P.2d 677.
5. Court's discretion to award divorce, alimony and property division where parties are in equal fault. Clugston v. Clugston, 197 Kan. 180, 182, 415 P.2d 226.
6. Section grants to judiciary procedural discretion in divorce action. LeSueur v. LeSueur, 197 Kan. 495, 500, 419 P.2d 817.
7. Cited; argument that correct judgment should be upheld though court reached such judgment for a wrong reason. Perrenoud v. Perrenoud, 206 Kan. 559, 572, 480 P.2d 749.
8. Mentioned in connection with awarding custody of minor children when common law marriage did not exist. Schrader v. Schrader, 207 Kan. 349,352, 484 P.2d 1007.
9. Applied; trial court's ruling and findings in divorce action upheld. McLaren v. McLaren, 214 Kan. 217, 219, 221, 519 P.2d 720.
10. Section applied; fee-simple title not vested in parties in a proceeding for separate maintenance. Linson v. Johnson, Executrix, 1 Kan. App. 2d 155, 159, 563 P.2d 485.
11. Division of property can be ordered even though petition for separate maintenance is denied. Davis v. Nelson, 227 Kan. 789, 792, 610 P.2d 587.
12. A person adjudicated incapacitated with respect to his person and estate does not possess requisite capacity to file divorce action. Brice-Nash v. Brice-Nash, 5 Kan. App. 2d 332, 615 P.2d 836.
13. Under statute court may not make property division in absence of marriage; may do so by inherent power of equity. Eaton v. Johnston, 9 Kan. App. 2d 63, 67, 672 P.2d 10; 235 Kan. 323, 329, 681 P.2d 606 (1984).
14. Trial court denial of petition for divorce for failure to perform a material marital duty reversed. In re Marriage of Cohee, 26 Kan. App. 2d 756, 757, 994 P.2d 663 (1999).