Divorce or dissolution of marriage is the ending of a marriage before the death of either spouse, which can be contrasted with an annulment , which is a declaration that a marriage is void, though the effects of marriage may be recognized in such unions, such as spousal support , child custody and distribution of property . In many developed countries , divorce rates have increased markedly during the twentieth century . Among the states in which divorce has become commonplace are the United States , South Korea and members of the European Union , with the exception of Malta (where all civil marriages are for life, because civil divorce is banned, which is also the case in the Philippines ). In the USA, Canada , the United Kingdom and some other developed Commonwealth countries, this boom in divorce developed in the last half of the twentieth century . Japan retains a markedly lower divorce rate, though it has increased in recent years. In addition, acceptance of the single-pa...