Divorces in the ancient and middle ages
The word divorce refers to the termination of a marriage. Throughout history attitudes towards divorces have varied a lot. Divorce has been documented by historians in ancient cultures, such as the ancient Romans and Greeks. The citizens of Athens were mostly liberal towards divorce and allowed them to happen with good enough reasons. The reasons had to be submitted to a magistrate by the party requesting the divorce, who determined whether the given reasons were sufficient to terminate the marriage. In the ancient Rome divorces were quite rare initially, however as the empire grew, divorces were allowed to be initiated by both husbands and wives and were quite common. When the Roman Empire had Christian emperors, divorces became a rare occurrence and a very serious reason had to be behind them. During the middle ages in Europe, divorces were extremely rare and difficult, as most of the family affairs administration was done by the Catholic Church. Luckily, today it is not as difficult to get a divorce as it was during the Middle Ages, but it can still be a challenging and exhausting experience. Contact our divorce lawyers in Guildford and find out how to take the first step in this process.
Divorces in more recent times
The reformation in Europe was a great milestone in the liberalisation of divorce laws and a step towards the secularisation of Europe. In the protestant regions of Europe secular authorities have taken over the administration of marriages and divorces, as marriages have started to be thought of as a contract. Henry VIII of England who was a notorious divorcee played a great role in divorces becoming possible, as he created the Church of England to break from the Catholic Church’s dogmas on divorce. At this time it was still quite difficult to get a divorce, as most civil courts in Europe adopted some parts of the decision making process used by the church associated courts. Divorces only became more acceptable to the public and to the authorities around the late 19th century and the early 20th century, when the right to divorce was recognised by many European states. Even though today we have the right to divorce, it can still be a time and energy consuming and emotionally demanding process. Contact our divorce solicitors in Guildford if you are ready to make this important step.
What causes divorce?
A United Kingdom based management consultancy company prepares an annual report on divorce statistics through surveying matrimonial lawyers. The most common cause in this report is infidelity and extramarital sex. Another important cause is domestic violence. If you have been a victim of domestic violence, it is important to be able to recognise the abusive nature of your relationship. There are various helplines available operating 24 hours a day, who if necessary can also help you by referring you to a safe emergency accommodation. There are a number of charities in the UK concerned with domestic violence.