uniform marriage and divorce act
Uniform Marriage and Divorce Act. A 1970 model statute that defines marriage and divorce. • Extensively amended in 1973, the Act was an attempt by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws to make marriage and divorce laws more uniform. The Act’s greatest significance is that it introduced, as the sole ground for divorce, irreconcilable differences. Although the UMDA has been enacted in part in only a handful of states, it has had an enormous impact on marriage and divorce laws in all states. — Abbr. UMDA. — Also termed Model Marriage and Divorce Act. See IRRECONCILABLE DIFFERENCES.
