CHAPTER 169

An Act to amend and reenact § 20-97 of the Code of Virginia, relating
to domicile and residence requirement to maintain suits for annulling

a marriage or for divorce,
(H 170]

Approved March 4, 1958

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

a That § 20-97 of the Code of Virginia be amended and reenacted as
ollows:

§ 20-97. No suit for annulling a marriage or for divorce shall be
maintainable, unless one of the parties is domiciled in, and is and has
been an actual bona fide resident of this State for at least one year pre-
ceding the commencement of the suit; nor shall any suit for affirming a
marriage be maintainable, unless one of the parties be domiciled in, and
is and has been an actual bona fide resident of this State at the time of
bringing such suit. For the purposes of this section only, if a member of
the armed forces of the United States has been stationed in this State and
has lived with his or her spouse for a period of one year or more in this
State next preceding a separation between such parties, and such service
person and spouse continue to live in this State until and at the time a suit
for divorce or legal separation is commenced, then such person and his or
her spouse shall be presumed to be domiciled in and to have been a bona
fide resident of this State during such period of time.