Extreme Cruelty Definition and Legal Meaning

On this page, you'll find the legal definition and meaning of Extreme Cruelty, written in plain English, along with examples of how it is used.

What is Extreme Cruelty?

n. Requirement to illustrate the infliction of mental or physical harm by one party to his/her spouse in order to support a divorce judgment or unequal division of property. Except for Illinois and South Dakota, all states recognize “no fault” divorces. Some states favor the suffering spouse when dividing the property when there is evidence of extreme cruelty.