THE CASES OF DIVORCE

INTRODUCTION
I choose the topic from the chapter of British at home, which is about divorce. I think
this topic is interesting to be analysed because divorce is considered to be the problem always
talked about by so many people in every country.
DISCUSSION
Now, I begin with the meaning of divorce, divorce means the legal dissolution of a
marriage (concise Oxford Dictionary, tenth edition). Divorce mostly happens in the whole
countries and also becomes one of the biggest problems faced by each country. Britain and
Indonesia are the objects for this paper to analyse. Both in Britain and Indonesia, the rate
which becomes higher and higher happens the same every year, but, of course with the
different percentage. However, it is considered that each country represents the highest rate in
each continent. Indonesia is said to be the highest rank of divorce in Asia-Pacific. Then
Britain is said to be the highest rank of divorce in Europe.
If I look on the reasons why divorce happens, the reason or factors of divorce may be
just the same in the typical such as the lack of communication, having another affair, etc.
However, there must be the exact differences found about why divorce happens in
those two countries. Differences in the causes as divorce happen.
ANALYSIS
In this part, I would like to give proves in several kinds such as the study about
divorce and so on.
Divorce in Indonesia
The causes:
Dirjen Bimbingan Masyarakat Islam Kementerian Agama Nasaruddin Umar MA said
that infotainment makes the increasing of the number of divorce in Indonesia. It is because
the married couples at the young age imitate the behavior of celebrities.

The amount cases of divorce is considered as the result of globalization of

information through the mass media, which is infotainment which presents the figure of artist
that is proudly conveying his/her divorce case. In the year of 2000, it was only 30% talak
divorce, in which the husband divorced the wife. On the other hand, in the year of 2005, there
was 68,5 % divorce cases through gugat divorce, in which the wife said divorce to her
husband.
At the age of marriage for five years, 80% found divorce as the cause of
infotainment, Nasrudin said after opening Pemilihan Keluarga Sakinah Teladan dan KUA
Teladan tingkat Nasional in Jakarta on Saturday 14th of August.
In recent 10 years, the number of divorce in Indonesia is considered to increase.Nasarudin
said.
Every year, it is stated that there are two million people get married, and then the
number of divorced couples reaches 200 thousands per year. The number is gotten by the
number of the religious justice in Indonesia.
The data
The
of

divorce

number
in

Indonesia

has

reached on

the

fantastic

one. As

noted

that

year

of

in

the

2007,

at least 200
thousands

did

pisah ranjang or so called divorce. If the number is compared to the number of divorce in
Britain or America, Indonesia has less but still, it has reached the highest record in AsiaPacific.

The number of divorce cases, gugat divorce, and talak divorce in recent five years.
From the history
If we look back on the history, as the invention of Mark Cammark in the year of 1950.
The number of divorce in Asia, included Indonesia, was in the peak among other countries in
the world. On that decade, from the number of 100 marriages, 50 marriages ended in divorce.
However, in the year of 1970 till 1990, the degree of divorce in Indonesia decreased
drastically besides the degree of divorce in other countries increased. It drastically increased
again since the year of 2001 till 2009.
Divorce in Britain
A history of divorce laws in Britain:
1857 Divorce was available through a Court of Law. Men could claim adultery. Women had
to claim both adultery and cruelty. No divorce for poor. There was a guilty party'.
1923 Women could divorce on the same terms as men.
1937 Grounds for divorce were extended to included desertion
1949 Legal Aid was available for divorce so poor people could apply.
1969 The grounds for divorce were changed. There is no guilty party. Proof of irretrievable
breakdown of marriage is required.
1984 The amount of time before application for divorce can be made was reduced.
The data
Over 300.000 people were married in 2004, compared to 350.000 twenty years ago.
But most recent figures show that almost 170.000 people were divorced last year, making
Britain the capital of Europe when it comes to marital separation.(www.independent.co.uk)

Divorce rate: England and Wales

In 2008, the divorce rate in England and Wales fell to 11.2 divorcing people per 1,000
married populations compared with the 2007 figure of 11.8, a fall of 5.1 per cent. The divorce
rate is at its lowest level since 1979 when it was also 11.2.
For the fourth consecutive year, both men and women in their late twenties had the
highest divorce rates of all five-year age groups. In 2008 there were 22.8 divorces per 1,000
married men aged 25 to 29 and 26.0 divorces per 1,000 married women aged 25 to 29. This
compared with 16.5 divorces per 1,000 married men aged 45 to 49 and 14.5 divorces per
1,000

married

women

aged

45

to

49

in

2008.

Since 1998 the average age at divorce in England and Wales has risen from 40.4 to
43.9 years for men and from 37.9 to 41.4 years for women, partly reflecting the rise in age at
marriage.
One in five men and women divorcing in 2008 had a previous marriage ending in
divorce. This proportion has almost doubled since 1981 when 11 per cent of men and women
divorcing had a previous marriage ending in divorce. Sixty-nine per cent of divorces in 2008
were to couples where the marriage was the first for both parties.
For 67 per cent of divorces in 2008, the wife was granted the divorce. For all divorces
granted to an individual (rather than jointly to both), behaviour was the most common reason
for divorce.

UK
Between 2007 and 2008, the number of divorces granted in the UK fell by 5.5 per
cent to 136,026, from 143,955. This is the fourth consecutive fall in the number of UK
divorces and the lowest number since 1976 (135,960). The figure is 25 per cent lower than
the highest number of divorces, which peaked in 1993 (180,523).
In 2008 in England and Wales the number of divorces fell by 5.0 per cent to 121,779,
in Scotland they fell by 10 per cent from 12,810 in 2007 to 11,474 in 2008 and in Northern
Ireland they fell by 4.8 per cent from 2,913 in 2007 to 2,773 in 2008.
The causes
Guardian Weekly said that internet sites which reunite old friends gave an impact for
family to be broken, it happened because a husband or a wife was frustrated to find his/her
partner contacted his/her ex-partner again. (www.lintasberita.com)
Here are some facts and figures about marriage in Britain:
One marriage in three ends in divorce. One child in five will see his or her parents divorce
before the sixteenth birthday.
People who marry when they are still very young are more likely to have a divorce than
people who marry when they are in their twenties and thirties.
People who are in the poorer groups of society are more likely to have a divorce than those
who come from wealthier backgrounds and who have well-paid and interesting jobs.
Husbands who are married to women who are housewives are more likely to ask for a
divorce on the grounds of adultery than husbands who are married to working wives.
Women are much more likely to ask for a divorce from their husbands than men are to ask
for divorce from their wives. On average, the number of divorce proceedings started by
women is about 70%.
In 1983, 29% of couples who divorced had no children.
Most people divorce after about ten years of marriage.
5% of adults are divorced. 69% are or were married and 27% have never married.
It has been found that children from divorced families are more likely to divorce
themselves.

Divorce is very expensive for the country because women are often made poor and need
legal aid and social security.
As the data collected, and as I have analysed, I list the differences as follows:
Divorce in Britain

Divorce in Indonesia

1) Cases of divorce as found in many sources

1) As proved from the data, it is clearly

are not because of imitating celebrity.

stated that one of the major causes of

divorce is imitating celebrity.

2) In the past, the degree of divorce was very

2) It was from the past that the degree of

low although the couples got married at

divorce in Indonesia was high. However,

the very young age.

in certain years, the degree was ever in

the low one then it is rising again till now.
The number of divorce in Asia, included
Indonesia, was in the peak among other
countries in the world. On that decade, from
the number of 100 marriages, 50 marriages
ended in divorce. However, in the year of
1970 till 1990, the degree of divorce in
Indonesia decreased drastically besides the
degree

of

divorce

in

other

countries

increased. It drastically increased again since

the year of 2001 till 2009.
3) People who are in the poorer groups of
society are more likely to have a divorce
than those who come from wealthier
backgrounds and who have well-paid and
interesting jobs.
4) Most people divorce after about ten years
of marriage.

3) It is considered that poor or wealthy are

not reasons for getting divorce, but mostly
it happens to those who are wealthy
(celebrities, jet set people, singers, and
that kind)
4) Most people divorce after about five years
of marriage.

As the similarities, I analyse that divorce commonly happens in the reasons as follows:
1) People who marry when they are still very young are more likely to have a divorce
than people who marry when they are in their twenties and thirties.
2) Social networking on the web gives impacts for the cause of the degree of divorce in
both countries.
3) Behaviour was the most common reason for divorce.
As my analysis, I think it is good to know the difference in reasons or factors of divorce
found in both countries. As we know that the divorce is caused by the typical reasons;
however, it is not right to see something in one point of view.
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATION
The summary of the essay
The differences
Divorce in Britain

Divorce in Indonesia

1) Cases of divorce as found in many sources

1) As proved from the data, it is clearly

are not because of imitating celebrity.

stated that one of the major causes of

divorce is imitating celebrity.

2) In the past, the degree of divorce was very

2) It was from the past that the degree of

low although the couples got married at

divorce in Indonesia was high. However,

the very young age.

in certain years, the degree was ever in

the low one then it is rising again till now.

3) People who are in the poorer groups of

3) It is considered that poor or wealthy are

society are more likely to have a divorce

not reasons for getting divorce, but mostly

than those who come from wealthier

it happens to those who are wealthy

backgrounds and who have well-paid and

(celebrities, jet set people, singers, and

interesting jobs.

that kind)

4) Most people divorce after about ten years

of marriage.

The reason similarities

4) Most people divorce after about five years

of marriage.

1) People who marry when they are still very young are more likely to have a divorce
than people who marry when they are in their twenties and thirties.
2) Social networking on the web gives impacts for the cause of the degree of divorce in
both countries.
3) Behaviour was the most common reason for divorce.
I recommend this essay to be read by anyone who would like to know another view
about divorce between two countries. The reader is expected to know the elaboration of
divorce in Britain, and the percentage or the rate of divorce in each country of Britain.