INDIANAPOLIS — A bill that would end “no-fault” divorce for couples with children in Indiana has been sent to the house judiciary committee, as part of the 2025 Indiana Legislative Session.
House Bill 1684 says that if someone sites “irretrievable breakdown” of the marriage as the grounds for divorce, and the couple has one or more children, they need to prove the breakdown. They can do that in one of two ways:
- Having a witness testify that the marriage is irretrievably broken
- Both parties convince the judge the marriage is irretrievably broken
The bill also specifies who can be a witness:
- Officiant of the marriage
- Signed witness to the marriage
- Parent or sibling of either party
- Friend who has known a party for at least 60 days
- Religious leader with knowledge of the marriage
- Licensed counselor with knowledge of the marriage
The bill also says the witness cannot be someone who “has received any form of compensation for acting as a witness at the final hearing.”
The bill’s author, Rep. Timothy Wesco (R-District 21), who represents parts of Mishawaka and Elkhart in northern Indiana, posted his reasoning for the bill on social media…