Divorce, also know as dissolution of marriage is the process of terminating a marriage. Divorce is different from annulment which declares the marriage null and void, with legal separation process by which a married couple may formalize a defacts separation. The Social context of divorce has transformed radically within the past three years. In traditional society divorce was permited only for the most blatant violations of the marital compact. As societies have changed, however the conceptions of marriage have altered and the reasons for divorce have multipled. Prior to eighteenth century, families were the sole instruments of socialization and education as well as the basic unit of most economics, as such an unstable marriage was a threat to the community. Spouses were expected to retain respect for one another but adultery violence and emotional indifference were commonly accepted and may even have been normative.