Koon v. Koon
Missouri Court of Appeals
969 S.W.2d 828 (1998)
Mary Koon (plaintiff) filed for divorce from Merle Koon (defendant), alleging the marriage was irretrievably broken because they argued over money, Merle was controlling, he opposed her attending college, and he was away on business in Virginia for 15 months, though Mary never alleged they lost contact during that absence. Merle denied the marriage was irretrievably broken and opposed the divorce. The trial court found the marriage irretrievably broken and granted the divorce, while also explicitly finding that Merle had not behaved in a way that Mary couldn't reasonably be expected to live with him. Merle appealed the finding that the marriage was irretrievably broken.
Whether, in a contested divorce, a claim that the marriage is irretrievably broken must be supported by substantial evidence for the divorce to be granted.