When a couple calls it quits today, it’s not the end of the world. Gone is the stigma divorce carried in the mid-20th century in Canada. In fact, many conscious uncouplings today are done with the spouses remaining good friends for the sake of each other and for their children. Individuals are celebrating rather than hibernating after what used to be considered a catastrophic life event.
Divorce doesn’t have to include the fights, the push and pull of custody battles, the back and forth diatribe regarding spousal support and the hollering about what’s going to happen to the matrimonial home. No, today, divorce is much more civilized and amicable. Enter the happy divorce.
The Divorce Act in Canada went through an overhaul in the late 60s. That change allowed Canadian couples to get divorced without the grounds of cruelty or adultery. A divorce could also be granted after three years of formal separation (in 1986 that was changed to one year along with needing either spouse to prove fault). Within five years of the 1968 amendment, the divorce rate in Canada doubled.
Divorce customs and even the terminology used around divorce has changed in the last few years. Certain things would have been unheard of a few years ago like using the family home in a timeshare sort of way. It’s all very civilized.
Even when divorce is celebrated by the two people going through it, there is a need for legal guidance in many respects. People still need to think about things like the division of assets and about having formal documents drawn up even if they do so with smiles on their faces. A lawyer’s advice may even make the situation more of a cause to celebrate new-found singlehood.
Source: nationalpost.com, “How divorce went from a devastating life event to a cause for celebration“, Sabrina Maddeaux, Jan. 11, 2018