Question
I have a couple of questions regarding divorce. a) Is the use of words “I divorce you” necessary for a divorce to occur, or any other words like “you are free” can also have the same effect. b) I was talking to my wife on phone and to conclude the discussion, I said “Ok so now u are free” (Ab aap aazad hain) “You can do whatever you want to do”. It was never in my thoughts that I am divorcing her. But immediately after saying these words to her, I thought may be these words have the affect of divorce? c) Is intention important for divorce or using any of these words without intention can also cause divorce?
Answer
Thank you for writing to us. Divorce is pronounced using the conventional wording. In certain cases the words you have used can also imply divorce. However, it is the textual and contextual indicators which determine whether you intended divorce or not. Since the context in which you used the words ‘you are free’ makes it clear that you never intended divorce you do not need to worry about it.
Answered by: Tariq Mahmood Hashmi
Date: 2015-01-01
