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The oldest union on Earth is marriage. The Bible, in Genesis, tells of how God created Adam and Eve, and married them. However, almost as quickly, the rise of divorce came about. The practice was widespread by the time of Moses, and he puts in place the laws for dealing with the annulment of marriage in the book of Numbers.

Instead of the rule, this will be the exception. Although, it was a bit more commonplace in Asian cultures. This is even more the case in modern times. It makes interesting reading if you go through its long history. Let us turn to it now.

Besides the Biblical account and some fragmentary evidence from other cultures, there is not much on the practice in the western world until the rise of the Greek and Roman civilizations around 1000 BC. In the eastern world, husband’s married many wives, and the practice was common because of the lack of respect for marriage. In Muslim countries, people may apply for a divorce, however, it is contrary to the Muslim religion.

By the time of Greek society, however, marriage was regulated and accepted. In ancient Athens, all you had to do was to submit a request to a magistrate, who would judge whether the request was lawful and would then either accept or deny the request. In early Roman culture, free marriage was not accepted. However, as Rome became more decadent, it adopted the maxim that marriages should be free. Theoretically, either the husband or the wife could divorce at will, although in practice the exercise of this right was infrequent.

When the Christian religion became dominant, marriage became more permanent. Very few people sought to end their marriages during the middle ages, although some, such as the notorious Henry VIII, defied the morality of the day. He had six wives during his reign, and would execute two of them.

It still occurred during Victoria’s reign, but was strongly discouraged. More often an informal divorce would occur, where the wife and husband would separate despite still, technically, being wed. During the 18th and 19th centuries this was a normal occurrence, but towards the end of this period practices began to revert.

Today, the separation of a husband and wife is common, and the legal process of ending a marriage is even more so. In the United States, marriages end before the death of one partner 40% of the time. Earlier times had vastly different standards.

If you’re interested in more information, you can read more about my practice as an family law attorney in Austin TX. You can also take a look at our Austin divorce video at www.AustinDivorceHelp.com. If you haven’t found what you’re looking for, you can take a look at our questions about divorce in Austin TX.