If a court or other official record indicated that your relative received a “divorce a vinculo matrimonii” it means an absolute and complete divorce. Both parties were released from the original marriage contract, could function as completely un-married individuals, were free to marry, etc.
This compares to a “divorce a mensa et thoro” which is a divorce from the bed and the board–but the couple remains legally married. These couples typically are ones who no longer want to live together but for one reason or another choose not to be legally divorced. Couples with this divorce are not able to marry other individuals. In some locations where this specific terminology is not used, a couple choosing this type of relationship may be involved in litigation for separate maintenance.
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