Divorce in Medieval England

<p><em>Divorce in Medieval England</em> is intended to reorient scholarly perceptions concerning divorce in the medieval period. Divorce as we think of it today is usually considered to be a modern invention. This book challenges that viewpoint documenting the many and varied uses of divorce in the medieval period and highlighting the fact that couples regularly divorced on the grounds of spousal incompatibility. Because the medieval church was determined to uphold the sacrament of marriage whenever possible divorce in the medieval period was a much more complicated process than it is today. Thus this book steps readers through the process of divorce including: grounds for divorce the fundamentals of the process the risks involved financial implications for wives who were legally disabled thanks to the rules of coverture the custody and support of children and finally what happens after a divorce. Readers will gain a much greater appreciation of marriage and women’s position in later medieval England.</p>