WV SCR6

Requests the Joint Committee on Government and Finance study the effects of voluntary separation and irreconcilable differences as grounds for divorce in West Virginia, with findings due by the 2027 legislative session

Study would compare children of married parents versus divorced parents on academic performance, rates of anxiety/depression, substance abuse, and delinquency

Study would compare married adults to divorced adults on dependence on state assistance programs, mental health disorders, substance abuse, and alcoholism rates

Requires analysis of family court funding allocated to processing these divorce types and the potential impact of repealing voluntary separation and irreconcilable differences as legal grounds for divorce

Cites West Virginia had 7,266 divorce filings in FY 2024, a divorce rate of 2.9 per 1,000 people in 2023, and a family court budget request of $15,500,081 for FY 2027