Since the time that marriage vows became a part of our social institution, husbands and wives have become adept at putting aside their vows when they have had enough. In some instances, these methods are simple.  In other cultures, they can be much more complicated. 

For instance, as with the case of Arab Muslim men who want a divorce, it is shockingly easy.  All he has to do is gather two witness to hear him tell his wife one simple statement….”I divorce thee.”  Simple as that.  As for the children, it is a given that he retains custody since, like his wife, they are his property.  Incidently, the husband is allowed to marry right away.  However, the wife must wait 3 months to make sure she is not pregnant.  If it turns out that she is, she must then wait to remarry until the child is born and raised!

Eskimos, on the other hand, would think this set up is grossly unfair.  For the Eskimos, divorce is very simple, especially if there are no children involved.  All a couple has to do to dissolve a marriage is to simply start living separately from one another.  It’s as simple as that.

Ancient Athenians were much like the Eskimos when it came to divorce.  All that was required from a husband and wife is that they move away from one another and live as though they had never married.

For an Australian Aborigine woman, divorce can be considered slightly more complicated.  In her case, she either has to convince her husband to either give her away or divorce her.  Ironically, she can skirt around this issue on one condition.  All she has to do elope with someone else.

The ancient Chinese, it seems, made divorce much more complicated.  There were a multitude of layers of decorum when a woman wished to divorce.  Although they could part ways simply because of incompatibility, the procedure was something else all together.  In order for him to divorce his wife, it was only under the condition that the family of the wife would be willing to take her back.  For a man, divorce can be accomplished on the grounds of adultery.  But, if he really wanted to, he could have his parents disapprove of the conduct of the wife.

In more modern times and cultures, divorce can be a very big issue.  Support settlements, alimony and custody are issues that can significantly delay divorce proceedings.  One example is that of Marcia Borders of Hutchinson, Kansas.  Her divorce  in 1077 became very messy because of a custody battle over the family CAT!  She eventually won custody of the cat, with the stipulation that the ex-husband be allowed visiting rights.