A "ground" for divorce is a "reason" for divorce. A set of judicially recognized reasons for divorce exists in Virginia. You must use one or more of these reasons to justify your divorce.

• If the spouses have lived separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for one year, and it being the intention of one of the parties that the separation be permanent.
• If the spouses have entered into a separation agreement and they have no minor children and they have lived separate and apart without cohabitation and without interruption for six months.
• For adultery; or for sodomy committed during the marriage;
• Where one spouse has been convicted of a felony and sentenced to serve more than a year in prison and there has been no cohabitation after the other spouse learned of the conviction.
• Where either spouse has been guilty of cruelty, caused the other to reasonably fear bodily harm, or has deserted the other, the innocent party may be granted a divorce after a year.

In order to obtain a divorce in Virginia, at least one of the parties to the divorce action must have been (and still be) an actual and bona fide resident of the State of Virginia for at least six (6) months prior to the filing of the divorce action..