Marriage

==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). As of 2012, the [[Philippines]] and the [[Vatican City]] are the only jurisdictions which do not allow divorce (this is currently under discussion in Philippines).<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.