One of the most controversial issues where divorces are concerned are the no fault divorce laws. They are frequently cited as making divorce too simple, quick and easy. No fault divorce laws have really only existed on a broad scale since the late 1970s, and they allow a couple to file for divorce without assigning blame or "fault" to either party. A common complaint about most no fault divorce laws is that they provide a way for a spouse to seek to dissolve the marriage without the other party ever having to agree to the action (known as a unilateral divorce). Today, most of the no fault divorce laws allow the court system to be less crowded with divorce petitions and cases, they dramatically shorten the amount of time in which the entire divorce process occurs, they avoid the need to bring blame and high emotion into divorce proceedings which spares families from emotional hardship, and they allow financial arrangements to be fair and reasonable rather than punitive.