People on TikTok have shared their shock and horror after discovering that it is seemingly possible for a divorce to be overturned. Some have labeled it a “nightmare,” after one woman recorded herself turning up to court to uphold her divorce due to her husband trying to get it overturned despite the fact they ended their marriage six years ago.
The short clip was posted to TikTok by Katherine Jacobs and she’s dressed to kill as she struts outside the courthouse to the song “Girl, so confusing” by Charli XCX. The caption reads, “Walking into court to ensure I stay divorced from a man I divorced over six years ago.”
@katharinetjacobs Denied. The judge was not having it
♬ Girl, so confusing featuring lorde – Charli xcx & Lorde#divorced #divorcetok #divorcee #court #divorcecourt
Thankfully Katherine confirmed that the divorce was upheld stating, “The judge was not having it.” However, apparently many were unaware that it was even possible to overturn a divorce, believing it to be something which is final and everlasting. Which, to be fair, is more often than not the case.
Divorces can sometimes be overturned
While it may come as a shock, there are actually laws in place to overturn a divorce but only in very specific circumstances. Still, in the comments viewers shared their concerns, “As if I needed another reason to NEVER get married.” wrote one. Many also asked how that would even work, how the law could force someone to remarry their ex-partner, “What happens if you have your divorce overturned but you already got re-married.”
This sounds like something straight out of The Handmaid’s Tale and evidently viewers were horrified at the possibility of an overturned divorce, but thankfully the law when it comes to marriage and divorce isn’t quite as dystopian.
What is the actual law?
While divorces can be contested by one side there is no precedent for overturning a divorce once it is finalized. Of course, it can be repealed, but only before it is finalized and only if both parties agree that they want to stay married according to levinelawcenter.com.
Of course, that doesn’t prevent desperate and controlling men like Katherine’s ex-husband from trying their luck. This seems like a typical manipulation tactic by the ex-husband to try and gain control or at least waste Katherine’s time. Arguably, what he’s doing shouldn’t even be legal, but for now at least, the law is still on her side.
That also doesn’t mean there aren’t politicians pushing for the ability to repeal divorces in the future. Already, some conservative figures have campaigned to end no-fault divorces which would more likely than not affect women more than men if these politicians were to succeed.
