Originally, Illinois was a grounds state. The petitioner had to plead and prove certain specific acts by the respondent in order to obtain a divorce – which is now called a dissolution of marriage.The grounds that were set forth in the law (statute) in Illinois were mental cruelty, physical cruelty, impotency, desertion, habitual drunkenness or use of addictive drugs for more than two years, attempting the life of your spouse by poison or other means, showing malice, conviction of a felony or infamous crime, or infecting a spouse with a sexually transmitted disease. In Illinois these …