You need Java to see this applet. Divorce is the termination of the legal relationship of marriage. Divorce is a one of only two means by which the marriage relationship is legally terminated.
Death is the only other means of termination.
Once a marriage has been legally consumated and entered into the marriage relationship continues until terminated by judicial decree in a Divorce Action, or death of one of the parties. Although a marriage relationship may in some instances be entered into without ceremony, as a Common Law Marriage , there is no such thing as a Common Law Divorce . See - Common Law Marriage. Parties to a marriage may not just agree not to be married any longer, nor just walk away from each other. Until the marriage relationship has been legally terminated the parties continue to have legal obligations to the other - and each of the parties continues to have an interest in the property of the other.