Overview
There are two types of divorce: Shameful and blameless. Sometimes a divorce may be shameful for one partner and blameless for the other.
Shameful Divorce
A shameful divorce occurs when one of the couple have broken the marriage contract in some way. The most common way this can happen is through adultery before the number of required children has been born however it also happens if one of the couple are branded as a contract breaker, sexual contact is refused or either partner is violent.
A shameful marriage often results in reparations being required by the damaged family.
Should the divorce result from adultery on the mothers part prior to the contract being fulfilled then children from the union will become part of the mothers birth family, even if they had formerly been intended to join the fathers family, They will gain the stigma of being considered bastards. Should the mother be refused by her birth family then the family will retain the children and not her.
Blameless Divorce
A blameless divorce happens when the marriage breaks up without blame. This can happen because of infertility on either partner, because the conditions of the marriage contract have been met or because it is mutually agreed by both spouses and both families that the marriage is no longer working.
Once the conditions of the marriage contract have been met a woman is free to return to her birth family (or the man to his) in this fashion. A dowry is due to the family of the spouse who leaves the family during the marriage as compensation for her loss.
Aftermath
Whether a divorce is shameful or blameless a woman is expected to return to her birth family. Should they refuse to accept her following a shameful divorce then she will end up family-less with all the disadvantages that entails.
When the divorce is blameless people it is considered a normal, if unfortunate, part of life and will have no bearing on the couples status, future prospects or children.
