Under Mississippi law, there are 3 methods for obtaining a divorce:

Sometimes referred to as "no fault", this method is usually the least expensive and least stressful. To receive a divorce on this ground, the parties must each agree to the divorce and must reach a written agreement providing for the custody and maintenance of their children under 21, if any, and dividing their property and debts. After filing a Complaint for Divorce, there is a 60 day waiting period before the court may grant a divorce on the grounds of Irreconcilable Differences.

If the parties each agree to an Irreconcilable Differences divorce but are unable to agree about custody and maintenance of their minor children or how to divide their property and debts, they may consent to a divorce on the ground of Irreconcilable Differences and permit the court to decide the issues upon which they cannot agree. This method is normally the second least expensive and stressful to the litigants.

If the parties are unable to obtain a divorce by one of the Irreconcilable Differences methods, then one party must sue the other for divorce on one of the recognized "fault grounds" mentioned below. Under this procedure, the accusing party must prove by a preponderance of the evidence that the defending party is guilty of the fault ground(s) alleged. This method is usually the most expensive and most stressful to the litigants and can be drawn out for an extended length of time. It is not uncommon, however, for a Complaint for Divorce to be filed on a fault ground and later compromised and settled on the ground of Irreconcilable Differences. The 12 fault grounds for divorce are: