Legal Definitions - indignity

In family law, indignity refers to a specific legal reason for divorce. It describes a consistent pattern of behavior by one spouse that is intended to humiliate, shame, or degrade the other spouse.

This behavior goes beyond mere disagreements or occasional unkindness; it involves a deliberate and repeated course of conduct designed to diminish the other person's self-respect and standing within the marriage and often in front of others.

• Example 1: Public Belittling

  Imagine a spouse who, at every family gathering or social event, consistently makes demeaning jokes about their partner's career choices, intelligence, or physical appearance. Despite the partner's repeated requests for them to stop, this behavior continues, often accompanied by sarcastic remarks that undermine the partner's achievements or ideas in front of friends and colleagues.

  This illustrates indignity because it represents a persistent pattern of public humiliation, clearly calculated to embarrass and diminish the partner's self-worth and standing in the eyes of others.

• Example 2: Financial Degradation

  Consider a situation where one spouse controls all household finances and, despite sufficient funds, consistently refuses to provide the other spouse with money for basic personal needs like toiletries, clothing, or transportation. This spouse might force their partner to beg for small sums, then publicly question their spending habits or accuse them of irresponsibility, even when unwarranted, making them feel like a dependent child rather than an equal partner.

  This demonstrates indignity through a repeated act of financial control used as a tool for humiliation. By intentionally making the partner beg for necessities and publicly shaming them, the controlling spouse is actively degrading their autonomy and self-respect.

• Example 3: Constant Derision and Mockery

  Picture a spouse who regularly criticizes their partner's cooking, hobbies, or personal habits in a cruel and mocking tone, often in front of their children or other family members. These are not constructive criticisms but rather disparaging comments made with the clear intent to make the partner feel inadequate, foolish, and ashamed, eroding their confidence over time.

  This exemplifies indignity as it involves a consistent pattern of verbal abuse and derision, calculated to undermine the partner's confidence and self-esteem through repeated public or private humiliation.