According to our jurisdiction's Matrimonial Causes Act, divorce proceedings are controlled (The Act). Essentially, a court hearing is the only way to legitimately acquire the dissolution of a marriage because it is a judicial act. The Supreme Court of Judicature of Jamaica, which is the sole court with the necessary authority, handles divorce cases.
According to Matrimonial Causes Act section (5), there is just one ground that must be shown as the cause of the divorce: irretrievable breakdown of the marriage. As a result, the divorce will not be granted if the court is not convinced that there has been an irretrievable collapse of the marriage and that there is a realistic probability that the parties will reconcile. Any spouse who considers that their union has irretrievably fallen apart and that there is little chance of it ever coming back together may petition for a divorce decision. Since the application is being made by petition, the petitioner is the applicant, and the respondent is the other spouse.