Delaware Code

13 Del. C. § 1503 (2026)

Definitions

✓ current as of May 2026

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For purposes of this chapter:

(1) “Actually resided” means was domiciled.

(2) “Commencement of the action” means the time of filing the petition.

(3) “Companion animal” means an animal kept primarily for companionship instead of as any of the following:

a. A working animal.

b. A “service animal” as defined in § 4502 of Title 6.

c. An animal kept primarily as a source of income, including “livestock” as defined in § 7700 of Title 3.

(4) “Court” means Family Court of the State.

(5) “Incompatibility” means marital rift or discord that has destroyed the marriage relation, without regard to the fault of either party.

(6) “Mental illness” means mental incapacity or infirmity so destructive of the marriage relation that petitioner cannot reasonably be expected to continue in that relation.

(7) “Misconduct” means conduct so destructive of the marriage relation that petitioner cannot reasonably be expected to continue in that relation; and “misconduct” includes, as examples, adultery, bigamy, conviction of a crime the sentence for which might be incarceration for 1 or more years, repeated physical or oral abuse directed against petitioner or children living in the home, desertion, wilful refusal to perform marriage obligations, contracting venereal disease, habitual intemperance, habitual use of illegal drugs or other incapacitating substances and/or other serious offenses destructive of the marriage relation.

(8) “Separation” means living separate and apart for 6 or more months immediately preceding the ruling upon the petition for a decree of divorce, except that no period of separation is required with respect to a marriage characterized under § 1505(b)(2) of this title; and separation may commence and/or continue while the parties reside under the same roof, provided, during such period, the parties occupy separate bedrooms and do not have sexual relations with each other, except as § 1505(e) of this title may apply.

(9) “Voluntary separation” means separation by mutual consent or acquiescence; but if respondent denies that the separation was voluntary then mutual consent or acquiescence must be established either by written agreement of the parties or by proof of institution by respondent of separate judicial proceedings premised upon respondent’s consent to or acquiescence in the separation.

59 Del. Laws, c. 350, § 1; 60 Del. Laws, c. 297, §§ 1, 2; 60 Del. Laws, c. 331, § 1; 60 Del. Laws, c. 333, § 1; 61 Del. Laws, c. 365, §§ 1, 2; 80 Del. Laws, c. 288, § 1; 84 Del. Laws, c. 51, § 1;

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 3 cases, 1970–1974 · leading case: C. v. C., 320 A.2d 717 (Del. 1974).

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C. v. C., 320 A.2d 717 (Del. 1974). · cites it 2× “" This form of the statute was codified in 1935 Revised Code, § 3514 and in 1953 at 13 Del.C. § 1503. In 1972 it was renumbered [13 Del.”

Husband, C. v. Wife, C., 320 A.2d 717 (Del. 1974). · cites it 2× “” This form of the statute was codified in 1935 Revised Code, § 3514 and in 1953 at 13 Del.C. § 1503. In 1972 it was renumbered [13 Del.”

Wife v. Husband, 269 A.2d 214 (Del. 1970). “In view of the provisions of 13 Del.C. § 1503, requiring that all hearings and trials in divorce eases shall be private except when otherwise ordered by the Court, we have adopted the practice of publishing opinions in divorce cases anonymously.”

Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.