The Increase in Divorce Rate and Changes in Law

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The Increase in Divorce Rate and Changes in Law

A divorce is a legal ending of a marriage between a husband and wife.

Divorce rate has increased whenever laws have been passed to make

divorce quicker, easier and cheaper and so many people believe that

changes in law have led an increase in divorce rate. However, other

sociologists argue that changes in law do not cause divorce and that

the real reason why people divorce are changing expectations from

marriages, the changing attitude of women and declining pressure from

family, community and religion against divorce.

The 1971 Divorce Reform Act granted divorce on the grounds of

'irretrievable breakdown of marriage' and a divorce can take place

after two years of marriage. The 1984 Matrimonial and Family

Proceeding Act allowed divorce after 1 year. The 1998 Family Law Act

expressed the concern of people that divorce was too easy and that the

number of people divorcing was rapidly increasing and this Act said

that you had to be married for 1½ years before you had to use

...

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