Divorce in Puerto Rico?

[katjaeb]

Hello all!

I'm wondering if anyone can point me in the direction of information on the historic status of divorce in Puerto Rico? I've got a couple who I've proven divorced there in 1918, which was surprising to me. I would think that in a Catholic country such a formal separation would have been nigh impossible, but perhaps Puerto Rico's connection to the United States made it easier?

Help! Thanks!

[Erato]

If you can read Spanish, here is an article about the history of the Civil Code in Puerto Rico.  Basically it says that in 1890, the new Spanish Civil Code of 1889 was imported to Puerto Rico and to some other Spanish speaking countries [Cuba, Philippines].  In Puerto Rico, that Spanish law lasted until the takeover of the island by the United States in 1898 at which point an attempt was made to change Puerto Rican law to conform more closely to the U.S. common law system.  To do so, in 1902 a new Civil Code was introduced which was based on the Civil Code of Louisiana [since Louisiana law, unlike that of other states, is heavily influenced by the Napoleonic Code].  In 1930, the Civil Code was revised and slight modifications were made to the 1902 code. 

http://cb.pr/breve-historia-del-codigo-civil-de-puerto-rico/

What, if any, changes were made to divorce laws is not covered in this article.  Here is the 1930 Civil Code as it applies to divorce [including later amendments to the 1930 law].  Various legal reasons for divorce are listed.  Presumably some of them could have pertained in 1918.

http://www.lexjuris.com/LEXLEX/lexcodigoc/lexdivorcio.htm