Divorce is the termination of marriage
Introduction
Divorce is the termination of marriage; it is the process of ending a marital union. Usually, divorce involves revoking or changing the legal obligations or duties of marriage, consequently dissolving the pledges of matrimony between the wedded pair and as per the rules and regulations of a particular nation or state. Laws on divorce differ significantly across the world. Still, in most jurisdictions, divorce requires the consent of a court or other lawful process that can involve issues of sharing property, costs, child care, and support. In many countries, once a person has divorced, they are allowed to marry another individual. Approaches to divorce can either be fault-based or no-fault based. In essence, fault-based divorce entails one party to the marriage providing proof that the other party committed an offense that is not compatible with marriage. In contrast, no-fault based divorce does not require any form of allegation or evidence from either party.
Background/Research Topic
While divorce does not have the same disgrace today as before, it is still an elusive matter in most parts of the United States. Nonetheless, attitude towards divorce has changed substantially across the world. What was forbidden before, and what used to be the last option, is now a common practice. About 28% of marriages are disrupted, and many times, it leads to divorce.
Earliest reported case of divorce was in Massachusetts Bay. At the time, the divorce process was simple: divorce was granted for infidelity, absconding duties, and impotence. However, this approach was later changed by the northern states, but the southern states opposed the entire process. From the mid-19th century, the number of divorce cases in America grew substantially, with Americans getting more divorce rates than the whole of Europe (Brassiolo, 2016, p.443).
The rise in the number of divorce cases is attributed to low prices and supporting divorce for individuals with low resources: today, it costs between $15,000 and $30,000. Before, cases involving middle and high-class divorces were allowed because of costs. In the 20th century, the rates of divorce continued to increase with reports indicating 72% of cases filed by women in 1976 and 66% in 1989 (Brassiolo, 2016, p.445). In the 21st century, it is estimated that the average duration of the marriage is 12 years (Lucier-Greer & Adler-Baeder, 2016, p. 150). Studies show that 11% of individuals with low income are granted divorce while for highly educated, 17% are granted divorce (Brassiolo, 2016, p.444).