History Main / DivorceInReno

* One segment of ''Theatre/TheWomen'' takes place in a Nevada dude ranch where assorted wives, including a Countess about to divorce her fourth husband as well as the main cast's Mary and Sylvia, characters are waiting to establish residency for their divorces. A newspaper gossip column refers to Miriam Aarons as "being Reno-vated".

* One segment of ''Theatre/TheWomen'' takes place in a Nevada dude ranch where the assorted (female) characters are waiting to establish residency. A newspaper gossip column is quoted: "[one character] is being Reno-vated".

* "What Chance Have I with Love?" from ''Louisiana Purchse'' references this:

* "Cowboy", from season one of ''Series/{{MASH}}'' subverts this. Cowboy's wife sent him a letter from Reno. Hawkeye and Trapper, reading it to Cowboy over the radio, panic about the implications until Cowboy reveals he lives in Reno. They panic again when they read "Dear John", only for Cowboy to reveal that his real name is John Hodges. Cowboy's wife reassures him in the letter that she loves him and would never cheat or leave him.

A ForgottenTrope popular when divorce was difficult in most of the United States but much easier in Nevada. In the early 20th century, most American states had fairly strict divorce laws, often only granting divorces for specific cause (abandonment, adultery, etc) and often requiring a long waiting period, and for both spouses to be present in the courtroom. No-fault divorce was rare until TheSeventies, after California introduced it in 1969, and more and more states began to follow suit. (The last state in the Union to adopt no-fault divorce, New York, only did so in 2010.) In Nevada, however, no-fault divorce was legal by the early 20th century. Even more significantly, in 1931 the residency requirement to establish residency in Nevada, and thus be able to get divorced in Nevada, was reduced to only six weeks. So while in most of America one would have to wait quite a long time to get a divorce, and one would probably have to show cause why one should be allowed a divorce, one could go to Nevada and get a divorce in six weeks, no questions asked.

A ForgottenTrope popular when divorce was difficult in most of the United States but much easier in Nevada. In the early 20th century, most American states had fairly strict divorce laws, often only granting divorces for specific cause (abandonment, adultery, etc) and often requiring a long waiting period, and for both spouses to be present in the courtroom. No-fault divorce was rare until TheSeventies, after California introduced it in 1969, and more and more states began to follow suit. (The last state in the Union to adopt no-fault divorce, New York, only did so in 2010.) In Nevada, however, no-fault divorce was legal by the early 20th century. Even more significantly, in 1931 the residency requirement to establish residency in Nevada, and thus be able to get divorced in Nevada, was reduced to only six weeks. So while in most of America one would have to wait quite a long time to get a divorce, and one would probably have to show case why one should be allowed a divorce, one could go to Nevada and get a divorce in six weeks, no questions asked.

Other places with lax divorce laws, known on Wiki/ThatOtherWiki as [[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divorce_mill divorce mills]], may also serve the same purpose.

!!Examples

[[AC:Film]]

--> '''Becky:''' ''I've been in Reno.''
--> '''Miles:''' ''Reno?''
--> '''Becky:''' ''Reno. Dad tells me you were there, too.''
--> '''Miles:''' ''Five months ago.''
--> '''Becky:''' ''Oh, I'm sorry.''

* Also referenced in ''Film/TheShawshankRedemption'' (the beginning of which takes place in the 1940s). Andy's disloyal wife wants a divorce. Andy's response - "I'll see you in hell before I'll see you in Reno" - is part of what convinces the jury that he killed her.
* In ''Film/CharlieChan in Reno'', Charlie's son when he hears his dad is going to Reno--actually to consult the Reno Police on a case--is afraid his parents are getting a divorce.

-->Matrimony is baloney,
-->She'll be wanting alimony in a year or so;
-->Still they go and shuffle, shuffle off to Buffalo.
-->When she knows as much as we know
-->She'll be on her way to Reno while he still has dough
-->She'll give him the shuffle, when they're back from Buffalo.

[[AC: Literature]]

[[AC: Live Action TV]]

[[AC:Music]]
* Music/BillyJoel wrote a song called "Stop in Nevada" about a woman leaving her husband to move to California - but she has to, well, stop in Nevada first, presumably for the divorce.
* Music/SteelyDan's "Haitian Divorce" was about a similar practice where people on the East Coast would go to Haiti to get their own divorces as Haiti was closer than Nevada, although this was less common as Nevada's divorces had to be [[UsefulNotes/AmericanPoliticalSystem given "full faith and credit"]] since Nevada was an American state while Haiti's were covered under the less expansive "comity", which often wasn't granted by the states. Also, the wife has a [[SexTourism fling with a hot Haitian guy]] while in the country divorcing, from which results a ChocolateBaby.
** In RealLife, Haiti has unilateral divorce, i.e. one can divorce from his/her spouse without his/her signature. Also, during the Papa Doc/Baby Doc dictatorship, [[http://www.nytimes.com/1986/07/12/style/a-weekend-in-haiti-can-include-a-divorce.html this trope was]] [[InvokedTrope invoked]] and, indeed, [[ExploitedTrope exploited]].

[[AC:Theatre]]

[[AC:Video Games]]

A ForgottenTrope popular when divorce was difficult in most of the United States but much easier in Nevada. In the early 20th century, most American states had fairly strict divorce laws, often only granting divorces for specific cause (abandonment, adultery, etc) and often requiring a long waiting period. No-fault divorce was rare. (The last state in the Union to adopt no-fault divorce, New York, only did so in 2010.) In Nevada, however, no-fault divorce was legal by the early 20th century. Even more significantly, in 1931 the residency requirement to establish residency in Nevada, and thus be able to get divorced in Nevada, was reduced to only six weeks. So while in most of America one would have to wait quite a long time to get a divorce, and one would probably have to show case why one should be allowed a divorce, one could go to Nevada and get a divorce in six weeks, no questions asked.

* In ''Franchise/CharlieChan in Reno'', Charlie's son when he hears his dad is going to Reno--actually to consult the Reno Police on a case--is afraid his parents are getting a divorce.

* The rebuilt city of New Reno in VideoGame/Fallout2 is the only place where you can get divorced from your spouse should you be unhappy with the results of a ShotgunWedding.

* ''Series/DowntonAbbey'': Michael Gregson tried to obtain German citizenship (after also considering Greece and Portugal) so he can divorce there. Gregson's wife was irretrievably mentally ill and did not even recognize Gregson, but at the time (the early 1920s), British law did not allow divorce in such situations. (In on of ''Downton Abbey''[='=]s trademark legal ironies, English law would permit divorce for "incurable insanity" not terribly long afterward, upon the passage of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1937.) German law, however, did, and he moved to Munich to begin the arduous process of becoming a German citizen. Unfortunately, he is killed by Nazi Brownshirts within a year of arriving.

* ''Series/DowntonAbbey'': Michael Gregson tried to obtain German citizenship (after also considering Greece and Portugal) so he can divorce there, where unlike in Britain divorce on the grounds of mental instability is allowed. Unfortunately, he is killed by Brownshirts in Munich.

[[AC:VideoGames]]

A ForgottenTrope popular when divorce was difficult in most of the United States but much easier in Nevada. In the early 20th century, most American states had fairly strict divorce laws, often only granting divorces for specific cause (abandonment, adultery, etc) and often requiring a long waiting period. No-fault divorce was rare. (The last state in the Union to adopt no-fault divorce, New York, only did so in 2010.) In Nevada, however, no-fault divorce was legal by the early 20th century. Even more significantly, in 1931 the residency requirement to establish residency in Nevada, and thus be able to get divorced in Nevada, was reduced to only six weeks. So while in most of America one would have to wait quite a long time to get a divorce, and one would probably have to show cause why one should be allowed a divorce, one could go to Nevada and get a divorce in six weeks, no questions asked.

Many old movies and plays about the fashionable upper classes will have characters travel to Reno, Nevada, to obtain painless divorces. (At this time Reno was by far the biggest city in Nevada, as UsefulNotes/LasVegas did not start developing until TheFifties.) Reno businessmen went out of their way to attract those seeking Nevada divorces with specialist lawyers and affordable extended-stay hotels. Eventually, as the other 49 states liberalized their divorce laws, thus making divorce vacations to Nevada unnecessary, this became a ForgottenTrope. (Well, not quite. Nevada is still used for these kinds of divorces, but today the main reason is to bypass the [[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_property community property]] laws of some states, most notably California. Another reason is to get the juiciest settlement possible; a notable use of this trope is England - which [[{{Irony}} ironically]] doesn't technically have no-fault divorce -, using the process known as "[[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forum_shopping forum shopping]]".)

Other places with lax divorce laws, known on Wiki/ThatOtherWiki as [[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divorce_mill divorce mills]]. may also serve the same purpose.

Other places with lax divorce laws may also serve the same purpose.

The InvertedTrope, where people go to get married because marriage is easier there, is {{Elopement}}. A place where this sort of divorce happens is known on Wiki/ThatOtherWiki as a [[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divorce_mill divorce mill]].

The InvertedTrope, where people go to get married because marriage is easier there, is {{Elopement}}. A place where this sort of divorce happens is known on ThatOtherWiki as a [[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divorce_mill divorce mill]].

Many old movies and plays about the fashionable upper classes will have characters travel to Reno, Nevada, to obtain painless divorces. (At this time Reno was by far the biggest city in Nevada, as UsefulNotes/LasVegas did not start developing until TheFifties.) Reno businessmen went out of their way to attract those seeking Nevada divorces with specialist lawyers and affordable extended-stay hotels. Eventually, as the other 49 states liberalized their divorce laws, thus making divorce vacations to Nevada unnecessary, this became a ForgottenTrope. (Well, not quite. Nevada is still used for these kinds of divorces, but today the main reason is to bypass the [[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_property community property]] laws of some states, most notably California. Another reason is to get the juiciest settlement possible; a notable use of this trope is England, which [[{{Irony}} ironically]] doesn't technically have no-fault divorce, using the process known as "[[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forum_shopping forum shopping]]".)

Many old movies and plays about the fashionable upper classes will have characters travel to Reno, Nevada, to obtain painless divorces. (At this time Reno was by far the biggest city in Nevada, as UsefulNotes/LasVegas did not start developing until TheFifties.) Reno businessmen went out of their way to attract those seeking Nevada divorces with specialist lawyers and affordable extended-stay hotels. Eventually, as the other 49 states liberalized their divorce laws, thus making divorce vacations to Nevada unnecessary, this became a ForgottenTrope. (Well, not quite. Nevada is still used for these kinds of divorces, but today the main reason is to bypass the [[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_property community property]] laws of some states, most notably California.)