Divorce and Division of Property Under Angolan Law

Abstract

This article analyzes the dissolution of marriage and the division of property within the context of the Angolan legal system. With national independence in 1975 and the enshrinement of the diarchy in the Constitutional Law, the foundations were laid for the drafting of the Family Code, which introduced equal rights for men and women. This study reflects on marriage in its civil, religious, and traditional dimensions, highlighting the role of “alambamento” in customary law. It also analyzes the grounds for the dissolution of marriage—death, presumption of death, and divorce—and their respective personal and property-related effects. Finally, it discusses the division of property under statutory law and customary law, highlighting tensions between the two systems.