When most people think of divorce, they think of only one type.
According to Wikipedia:
“Divorce (also known as dissolution of marriage) is the process of terminating a marriage under the rule of law of the particular country or state. It is the legal process of ending a marriage.”
However, Virginia has two types of divorce with different results.
- divorce from bed and board
- divorce from the bond of matrimony
Divorce from bed and board
Virginia law recognizes a mensa et thoro as a legal divorce. That is a Latin phrase that means “from board and bed.” It refers to a type of divorce that does not dissolve a marriage.
Instead, Virginia law states that spouses are not legally required to live together. A divorce from bed and board is a partial or qualified divorce under which the parties are legally separated from each other but are not permitted to remarry.
Most people refers to a mensa et thoro as a legal separation rather than a type of divorce. Even so, it is sanctioned by a court order, meaning that the spouses may legally live apart, but they are still legally married to each other.