Unit 23 DIVORCE

Judicial Divorce under English Law MARRIAGE DISSOLUTION / TERMINATION BREAKDOWN OF MARRIAGE The rules governing marriage (eg. what is to amount to a breach of the contract; what compensation shall be paid for any such breach; how the contract may be brought to an end etc.) Determined by the law of the land (annulment of marriage =declaration that a marriage is void)

Divorce Law in England before 1969 THE DOCTRINE OF MATRIMONIAL OFFENCE -Divorce granted only to the “innocent” party to a marriage who could prove that the other party had been guilty of some wrongful conduct such as ADULTORYCRUELTYDESERTION

Change of Attitude to Divorce -a growing fashion for divorce – an increase in the popularity of marriage -MARRIAGE – no longer necessary permanent (people marry younger with less preparation) MARRIAGE NOWADAYS an attempt at finding a life-partner

Divorce procedure filing/issuing a DIVORCE PETITION PETITIONER RESPONDENT granting a DIVORCE DECREE

How to obtain divorce under English divorce law? "irreconcilable differences“ (unhappy marriage which couples want to bring to an end) –the most common reason why people file for divorce – does not exist as a ground for divorce To obtain a divorce on this ground English law insists that that one of the the marriage has broken down irretrievably that one of the parties to the marriage has behaved in such an unreasonable manner that the other finds it intolerable to live with him or her (fault divorce)

The Grounds for Divorce under English law divorce in England & Wales "irretrievable breakdown" of the marriage -must be proved by evidence of one of five "facts“ (Matrimonial Causes Act 1973)  Adultery (the Petitioner needs to prove that he/she finds it intolerable to live with the Respondent; divorce takes place on the basis of the Respondent’s admitted adultery)  Unreasonable behaviour (e.g. physical violence, verbal abuse, habitual drunkenness or drug-taking; refusing to pay for housekeeping, etc.; the most frequent ground – an “instant divorce”)  Desertion (to physical separation there must also be an intention on the part of the deserting spouse to permanently end cohabitation)  Two years' separation with consent (the parties to the marriage have lived apart for a continuous period of at least two years immediately preceding the presentation of the petition and the Respondent consents to a decree being granted – consent divorce)  Five years' separation without consent (the parties to the marriage have lived apart for a continuous period of at least five years immediately preceding the presentation of the petition)

Consequences The legal process for divorce may also involve issues of: -spousal support -child custody -child support -distribution of property -division of debt

Essential expressions -dissolution/termination/breakdown of marriage = razvrgnuće/raskid/raspad braka -annulment of marriage = poništenje braka -to avoid/annul marriage = poništiti brak -terminate = raskinuti, okončati -to obtain divorce = dobiti razvod braka -grounds for divorce = razlozi za rastavu -to file a divorce petition = podnijeti zahtjeva za razvod -to grant a divorce decree = izdati rješenje o razvodu braka -irretrievable breakdown = nepovratni raspad -irreconcilable differences = nepomirljive razlike -a petitioner / a respondent = podnositelj zahtjeva / tuženik -adultery, cruelty, desertion = preljub, okrutnost, napuštanje -no-fault divorce = divorce by mutual consent = uncontested divorce = sporazumni razvod braka ( divorce is granted without requiring the petitioner to provide evidence that the defendant has committed a breach of the marital contract)

Complete the following sentences. 1.The rules governing marriage are determined by …. 2.Until 1969 the grounds for a divorce were …. 3.Where there are children the violent deed of the final rupture called divorce can be tragic because the children suffer either from ….. or ….. 4.In the last decades most people …… divorce. 5.A consequence of the growing fashion for divorce has been ….. and … 6.The admissible grounds for divorce nowdays are …

Find English equivalents for the following legal terms and expressions. 1.poništiti, promijeniti ili prekinuti ugovor 2.biti propisan zakonom 3.kršenje/povreda ugovora 4.štetan/protuzakonit postupak poput preljuba, okrutnosti i napuštanja 5.osnova/temelj za razvod 6.neuspjeh braka 7.raskid bračnih veza 8.čin nasilja

Craoatian Family Law Act (2015) Study the following articles regulating divorce in Croatia and compare them with the regulations of English law. Članak 34. (1) Bez obzira na oblik u kojem je sklopljen, brak prestaje: smrću bračnog druga, proglašenjem nestalog bračnog druga umrlim, poništajem ili razvodom. Članak 42. (1) Razvod braka može tužbom zahtijevati bračni drug, a oba bračna druga sporazumnim zahtjevom. (2) Bračni drug nema pravo na tužbu za razvod braka za vrijeme trudnoće žene ili dok njihovo dijete ne navrši godinu dana života. Članak 43. Sud će razvesti brak: 1. ako utvrdi da su bračni odnosi teško i trajno poremećeni, ili 2. ako je od prestanka bračne zajednice protekla godina dana, ili 3. ako oba bračna druga sporazumno zahtijevaju razvod braka.