High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Like marriage, divorce in the United States is the province of the state governments, not the federal government. Divorce laws vary from state to state. However, no-fault divorce on the grounds of "irreconcilable differences" is now available in all states. In recent years many states, including North Carolina and New York, require a one-year legal and physical separation prior to a formal divorce decree. This legal requirement has led to the creation of a separate, somewhat ambiguous category of relationships "separated". Once an informal term used by individuals, it has now become a legal category designating someone who is neither married nor divorced.