The New England Colonies, viewing marriage as a civil contract, were the most likely to grant divorces, given sufficient cause. At the time, divorce in England was rare and expensive, and applicants were required to petition Parliament or an ecclesiastical court to obtain a divorce. The British colonies that became the United States individually adapted English common law on divorce to their religious, economic, and ethnic differences.
History Colonial and revolutionary period
In the United States, marriage and divorce fall under the jurisdiction of state governments, not the federal government.Īlthough such matters are usually ancillary or consequential to the dissolution of the marriage, divorce may also involve issues of spousal support, child custody, child support, distribution of property and division of debt. Divorce restores the persons to the status of being single and permits them to marry other individuals. Divorce in the United States is a legal process in which a judge or other authority dissolves the marriage existing between two persons.