Legal Definitions - parliamentary divorce

Parliamentary divorce is a type of divorce that is granted by the legislature instead of a court. This used to be common in Colonial America, but now only state courts have the authority to grant divorces. It is also known as legislative divorce.

Example: In 1816, the House of Burgesses of Virginia granted a divorce to Rachel Robards Jackson, the wife of then President Andrew Jackson, from a former spouse. This scandalous divorce was granted by the legislature instead of a court.

This example illustrates how parliamentary divorce is a type of divorce that is granted by the legislature instead of a court.