Divorce; authorize where marriage is irretrievably broken.

HB 496 amends Mississippi's divorce law by removing the "willful and obstinate" requirement from the desertion ground (simplifying proof for this fault-based divorce reason) and adding a new no-fault ground when a court finds an irretrievable breakdown of the marriage and that further reconciliation attempts are impractical or futile. This change directly affects Mississippi residents seeking divorce, particularly those who previously struggled to meet the desertion standard or wish to pursue divorce without assigning fault. The bill does not alter other existing grounds for divorce, such as adultery or mental illness, but streamlines two specific pathways for ending marriages. The new ground requires a court determination based on objective factors, not speculative outcomes.