SMH.com.au
When being true to yourself means you must divorce your soulmate, the law really can be an ass, writes Adele Horin.
Eric and Joan loved each other so much they could not wait to get married. At 19, they eloped, fleeing England’s marrying age of 21, to make their vows in easier-going Scotland.
Almost 50 years later, the couple have survived the vicissitudes of married life – the swinging ’60s, migration to Australia, three children, and a heart attack. And their marriage has survived a challenge most couples would find overwhelming.