Towson Divorce Lawyer | Grounds For Divorce | Cruelty
Cruelty of Treatment
Effective October 1, 2023, cruelty of treatment is no longer recognized as grounds for an absolute divorce in Maryland. Although cruelty of treatment can be demonstrated through instances of physical violence, it is not limited to such conduct. A March 31, 2021 decision by the Court of Special Appeals reaffirmed that cruelty can also be based on verbal and psychological abuse, specifically abuse that "is calculated to seriously impair the health or permanently destroy the happiness of the other." However, it is worth noting that divorces granted on the basis of cruelty of treatment are uncommon, largely because other more easily established grounds for divorce often exist concurrently.
