This book addresses the following research questions: What is the people's understanding of the existing marriage laws and their inherent contradictions? What factors influence people's choice of type of marriage? What factors push one to wish to get out of a marriage? What are the experiences and challenges of going through divorce? What are the expectations and contradictions posed by the sociocultural, legal and religious contexts that divorcees live within? What is the people's understanding of the concept of divorce and desertion? What support does the legal system itself provide to "divorcees"? What coping strategies have people developed and adopted in order to survive?