To file a motion for contempt in New York, certain criteria must be met. There must be an existing order of the court that is clear and unambiguous, and the accused must be proven to have known about this order and willfully disobeyed it.
The husband and wife must be living separate and apart for a period of at least one year after signing a separation agreement to use it for a divorce.
There are seven grounds, legally acceptable reasons, for a divorce in New York State: Irretrievable breakdown in relationship for a period of at least 6 months. Cruel and inhuman treatment. Abandonment. Imprisonment. Adultery. Divorce after a legal separation agreement. Divorce after a judgment of separation.