Countries which have Legalized Divorce

There are a number of countries wherein divorce is already culturally acceptable and also legal. Among these are countries like the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, and South Korea, which have all been affected by the popularity of divorce. Divorce has been legal in Canada since the 1960s. Divorce is legal in Japan; the country has been able to maintain a distinctly low divorce ratio. The popularity of divorce in developed countries has been on the up rise since the 20th century.

In countries which are predominantly Catholic, divorce is not welcomed by the culture which is greatly influenced by religion. For example in the Philippines and Malta, divorce is illegal. Because of the Catholic Church’s influence, a number of countries in Europe like France banned divorce. As a result, people in these locations may seek out other areas in order to get divorced.

Comparing and Contrasting

In countries which have legalized divorce, separating from your spouse may be much simpler than in those where divorce remains illegal. In countries where divorce is illegal and annulment may be the only way of getting out of a problem marriage, matters can get much more complicated.

The process of annulment may take a much longer period of time than the procedure of divorce. Divorce is the termination of a marriage contract. Annulment, on the other hand, deems the marriage null and void, as if one were never married in the first place. This makes couples think twice before considering the final step of annulment. But this can have its pros and cons.
Culture and Divorce

Most of the time, a woman may even stay in an abusive relationship for a long period just because of the culture’s view on separation. This is exactly where countries which have legalized divorce have the upper hand. In these cultures, getting out of any kind of abusive relationship as soon as possible is emphasized greatly. Looking at it this way, divorce becomes a tool for saving those spouses in detrimental marriages. But divorce itself may also be abused.

Marriage is a serious decision for anyone and it should not be taken lightly with the thought that one may just as easily get a divorce.

Debate upon the ease in which a couple may get divorced in some cultures has also long been discussed. The “Las Vegas” ease of tying the knot and just as easily cutting it off has been highly criticized by conservative cultures.

Getting married for a couple of hours just for the feel of it and then getting divorced soon after in just the same hurry is a clear example of how divorce can be abused.

Hope Ocampo is a staff writer for Divorce Guide, a one-stop information recource for news, articles and advice about divorce.