Lawyers urge couples to abide by marital vows to reduce rate of divorce

iyebiye olawuyi

March 22, 2017 11:52 AM

They attributed the increasing rate of divorce cases in the law courts to infidelity, neglect, lack of care, among others.

Divorce

Some lawyers have emphasised the need for couples to abide by their marital vows in order to check high incidence of divorce.

The lawyers who spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Wednesday in Mararaba, Nasarawa State, stressed the need for couples to live up to their responsibilities.

A lawyer, Mr Levinus Chiadikaobi of Equity Chambers, said that the Bible detests divorce, noting that marriage is a sacred institution ordained by God.

Chiadikaobi said that couples should look beyond the immediate gains from their union and consider their compatibility in a life- long project like marriage.

He pointed out that couples should learn from each other and appreciate their areas of strength and weaknesses.

He listed some of the challenges in marriage to include, childlessness, interference by members of the extended families, among others.

According to Chiadikaobi, tolerance is required to overcome these challenges.

“Tolerating each other on certain issues makes the marriage to be stronger,’’ he stressed.

Another lawyer, Mr Kwadugdu Peters, said that marriage should be rooted in love.

“Some marriages are consummated based on educational background, while others look at financial status. When things go wrong in any of these aspects, the marriage is in trouble,’’ he stressed.

Peters maintained that when the foundation of a marriage was faulty couples were bound to go their separate ways sooner than later.

In his submission, another lawyer, Mr Peter Ayodele, said that some men and women fail to understand that love is the foundation of marriage.

“If a marriage is rooted in love, couples will stay together for better and for not as good as,’’ he said.

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