THE WAYS IN WHICH A MARRIAGE CAN BE DISSOLVED

U Republici Hrvatskoj brak je zakonom uređena zajednica muškarca i žene. Brak je društveni odnos s pravnim značenjem koje ovisi o izboru cilja ili sadržaja koje zakonodavac pripisuje braku. Definicije braka mijenjale su se kroz povijest održavajući njegova moralna ili biološka obilježja kao što su rađanje djece, zajedničko življenje kao preduvjet braka i sl. Obično je brak zajednica između jednog muškarca i jedne žene koja je regulirana zakonima, običajima, pravilima, vjerovanjima i stavovima koji propisuju prava i obveze partnera. Sociološke definicije braka naglašavaju nagonsku, tzv. seksualnu komponentu braka kao zajednice dvaju ili više osoba, no uzevši u obzir vrijeme i kulturološko okruženje, brak ima i druge važne komponente za sklapanje. U velikom dijelu suvremenih država dopušten je isključivo monogamni brak, tj. brak jedne žene s jednim muškarcem, odnosno, brak jednog muškarca s jednom ženom, no postoje kulture koje dozvoljavaju i poligamni brak. Poligamni brak javlja se u dva oblika; kao brak jednog muškarca s više žena istodobno što je češći slučaj i kao poliandrija; brak jedne žene s više muškaraca istovremeno. Nadalje, u Europi je sve više zemalja koje uvode mogućnost sklapanja braka između osoba istog spola, što naravno dovodi u pitanje karakteristike braka kao instituta namijenjenog isključivo ženi i muškarcu. Zakonskom definicijom, brak je namijenjen samo ženi i muškarcu. Uspješnost bračnog odnosa, partneri određuju sami uzajamnim poštovanjem, svojim sposobnostima, spremnošću za ravnopravno uređenje te ispunjavanjem svojih bračnih dužnosti. U slučajevima kada brak više ne funkcionira i nije stabilan, prestaje poništajem ili razvodom, a druga dva načina prestanka braka su smrt bračnog druga i proglašenjem nestalog bračnog druga umrlim. U nekim je zemljama brak vrlo liberalan i može se lako razvrgnuti, dok je u drugima vrlo strog, do te mjere da čak i ne postoji mogućnost razvrgnuća braka. Crkveno sklopljeni brakovi teže se prekidaju nego oni sklopljeni u općini što dokazuje strog odnos crkve prema razvodu.In the Republic of Croatia marriage is defined by law as a union of a man and a woman. Marriage is a social relationship intertwined with juridical meaning that depends on the choice of the goal or the content that the legislator attributes to marriage. Definition of marriage has been changing throughout history reflecting the moral and biological characteristics of that time, such as childbirth, living together as a precondition for marriage, etc. Marriage is usually a union between a man and a woman which is regulated by laws, custom, rules, beliefs and attitudes that prescribe rights and obligations of each partner. Sociological definitions of marriage accentuate the urge, so-called sexual component of marriage as a union between two or more people; however, if we take into consideration the time and cultural circumstances, marriage has other important components as well. A big portion of modern-day countries allow only monogamous marriage, i.e. the marriage between one woman and one man or one man and one woman, but, there still are cultures that allow polygamous marriage. Polygamous marriage has two forms: a man is married to more than one woman at the same time, which is more often, and there is polyandry, which is when a woman has more than one husband at the same time. Furthermore, more and more countries in Europe are making it possible for partners of the same sex to marry. This then questions the characteristics of the institution of marriage intended to be between a man and a woman. By legal definition, marriage is intended solely for a man and a woman. The success of a marital relationship is determined by the partners themselves, their mutual respect, their capabilities, willingness to be equals, and fulfilling their marital duties. In the cases when marriage is no longer stable and is dysfunctional, it may be annulled, end in divorce, and the other two ways of marriage termination are the death of the spouse, and the missing spouse being pronounced dead. In some countries, marriage is very liberal and may easily be ended, while in other countries it is a very firm or strict union to the extent that there is no possibility of ending a marriage. Marriages formed in the Church are less often ended than the ones in the Register Office, which proves the strict view on marriage by the Church