Empty-shell marriage

A marriage that continues legally even though the couple's emotional relationship has largely ended.

A marriage in which the partners remain legally married but no longer have a meaningful relationship as a couple.

This gives sociologists a large-scale source of quantitative evidence for comparing years and identifying changes. However, the figures exclude couples who separate without divorcing. They also cannot reveal how many people remain in empty-shell marriages, where the legal marriage continues but the relationship has effectively ended.

A marriage in which the couple remain together even though their emotional relationship has broken down.

Distinguish an empty nest family, whose adult children have left home, from an empty shell marriage, whose couple relationship has broken down.

Divorce legally ends a marriage; an empty shell marriage continues legally despite the breakdown of the couple’s emotional relationship.

Distinguish marital breakdown from legal divorce: some couples separate or remain in empty-shell marriages without divorcing.

A marriage that continues legally even though affection, companionship or commitment between the partners has largely disappeared.

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AQA GCSE Sociology · 8192

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Eduqas GCSE Sociology · C200