It was often referred to as a quickie (sometimes spelled quicky) Mexican divorce.
Historical context
Mexico does not require spouses to be present at a divorce hearing; they can send a lawyer to represent them. This "fast-track" process is in contrast to American divorce procedures, which involve additional bureaucracy and added expense.
A state in the United States is not required to recognize the validity of a Mexican divorce obtained by one of the state’s residents, because the Full Faith and Credit Clause of the United States Constitution does not apply to foreign judgments. The State of New York is the only state that recognizes the validity of a Mexican divorce obtained by a New York resident, so long as the divorce is bilateral (i.e. both parties appeared in the proceeding).[3][4]
In 1970, in accordance with a Mexican federal law recommendation, many courts stopped accepting divorce petitions from non-residents. In the period between 1970 and 2010, every state in the US passed legislation allowing no-fault divorce,[5][6][7] so Mexican divorces are no longer necessary.
A reference to a Mexican quickie divorce is also made in the episode "Up in Barney's Room" of The Andy Griffith Show (season 4, episode 10). Mexican divorces were also plot twists in several episodes of the legal drama Perry Mason.
A Mexican divorce and a subsequent marriage are the central plot device in the 1965 movie Marriage on the Rocks. The Mexican Government disliked the film's depiction of Mexico[14] and banned the movie, and other Sinatra films, for presenting the country in a negative light.[15]