Editing Marriage (section)

==Divorce and annulment==
{{Main|Divorce|Divorce law by country}}

In most societies, the death of one of the partners terminates the marriage, and in monogamous societies, this allows the other partner to remarry, though sometimes after a waiting or mourning period.

In some societies, a marriage can be [[annulment|annulled]], when an authority declares that a marriage never happened. Jurisdictions often have provisions for [[void marriage]]s or [[voidable marriage]]s.

A marriage may also be terminated through [[divorce]]. Countries that have relatively recently legalized divorce are Italy (1970), Portugal (1975), Brazil (1977), Spain (1981), Argentina (1987), Paraguay (1991), Colombia (1991), Ireland (1996), Chile (2004) and Malta (2011). The [[Divorce in the Philippines|Philippines]] and the [[Vatican City]] are the only jurisdictions which do not allow divorce.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/-depth/06/07/12/philippines-ready-divorce-law |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120607204409/http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/-depth/06/07/12/philippines-ready-divorce-law |archive-date=7 June 2012 |title=Is Philippines ready for a divorce law? |publisher=ABS-CBN News |date=6 July 2012|author=Malig, Jojo }}</ref> After divorce, one spouse may have to pay [[alimony]]. [[Divorce law by country|Laws concerning divorce]] and the ease with which a divorce can be obtained vary widely around the world. After a divorce or an annulment, the people concerned are free to remarry (or marry).

A statutory right of two married partners to mutually consent to divorce was enacted in western nations in the mid-20th century. In the United States, [[no-fault divorce]] was first enacted in California in 1969 and the final state to legalize it was New York in 1989.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://divorcesupport.about.com/od/maritalproblems/i/nofault_fault_2.htm |title=No-Fault Divorce – The Pros and Cons Of No-Fault Divorce |publisher=Divorcesupport.about.com |date=30 July 2010 |access-date=19 February 2010 |archive-date=30 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170630173542/http://divorcesupport.about.com/od/maritalproblems/i/nofault_fault_2.htm  }}</ref>

About 45% of marriages in Britain<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2008/mar/27/britishidentity.divorce Nearly half of marriaged doomed for divorce], [[The Guardian]] (27 March 2008)</ref> and, according to a 2009 study, 46% of marriages in the U.S.<ref>Yen, Hope (18 May 2011) [http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/may/18/census-divorces-decline-7-year-itch-persists/?page=all Census; divorce decline but 7 year itch persists], Associated Press.</ref> end in divorce.