A spouse’s right to maintenance, to live in a stable matrimonial home and to inheritance need to be carefully addressed in the new divorce law being discussed in Parliament, the National Council of Women said.

While a couple could agree to divorce, it was also possible for divorce to be imposed on one of the spouses if certain criteria were met. This could lead to problems for the most vulnerable, usually women and children, council president Grace Attard said in a statement.

She urged members of the Parliamentary Committee discussing divorce to ensure changes were made in the current Bill to adequately address these issues before the law was enacted. MPs will take their final vote on the divorce Bill on July 25.

“The innocent party might have done his or her best to make the marriage work, might have never wanted to obtain the divorce, and then, to add insult to injury he or she would also lose the right to inherit from the previous spouse,” she said.