CHAPTER NINE

Separation, Annulment, and Divorce

Charles and Rachel are considering ending their marriage, but they are not sure that is what they want to do. They have decided to live apart for a while. They want to know their rights and obligations regarding support, time with children, and use of assets that they acquired during the marriage. What are their options?

Slightly less than half of all marriages in the United States end in divorce. The divorce rate is down from a peak in 1979-1981, but the current divorce rate is still near double what it was in the 1950s. Meanwhile, the marriage rate has been dropping since the 1980s – down 30 percent between 1980 and 2004.

As discussed in chapter 2, the state sets the requirements for creating a marriage. The state also sets the requirements for ending a marriage, but the regulations are more complicated since there are more issues to sort out when a marriage ends than when it begins. (Perhaps if before marriage, men and woman spent more time exploring issues they will have to deal with during marriage, the divorce rate would be lower.)

• Separation and Separate Maintenance
• Reasons to Separate Legally
• Annulment
• Divorce
• Covenant Marriages
• Resumption of Unmarried Name