Over  the  past  30  years,  the  legal  status  of  husbands  and  wives  in  marriage  has undergone  major  changes  with  the  result  that  wives  are  now  beginning  to  have  more of an independent legal identity than in the past and, to some extent, more of an equal  relationship  with  their  husbands  although  full  equality  has  not  yet  been achieved. At the same time, divorce laws and policies have consistently moved toward a  view  of  marriage  as  an  economic  partnership  and  away  from  the  concept  of marriage as a status totally regulated by the state and dominated by the husband.

This  trend  has  produced  significant  changes  in  the  statutes,  which  have,  to  a  certain extent,  limited  judicial  discretion  regulating  the  assignment  of  marital  property  and the  awarding  of  alimony  upon  divorce.  These  changes  have  given  more  consideration to the contribution of wives to the marital enterprise and to the financial needs of children. In addition, recently there has been a movement toward legislating how couples divorce, particularly with regard to their ability—with or without the assistance of counsel—to conclude their divorce with minimal official action. This article explores  the  trends  toward  the  equality  and  legal  autonomy  of  husbands  and  wives in  marriage  and  in  the  divorce  process  with  particular  emphasis  on  methods  of allocating  marital  property  and  on  new  and  simplified  procedures  for  divorce.

Complete Article