My counsellor has married my ex

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I am a divorced man based in Lindi. I was married to a very beautiful woman whom I loved deeply. However, our marriage was turbulent and filled with many arguments, which led us to seek professional marriage counselling. Unfortunately, counselling did not resolve our issues, and we ultimately decided to divorce. This decision weighed heavily on me because I had genuine love for her. Recently, I discovered that she has remarried, but what shocked me the most was that her new husband is our former marriage counsellor. I feel betrayed by this situation and am considering legal action against my counsellor. I would appreciate guidance on what the law on marriages says regarding this matter.
JM, Lindi

We are sorry to hear that your marriage did not turn out as expected and the fact that your wife then married the counsellor with whom you might have shared a good number of issues.

The Law of Marriage Act [Cap. 29 R.E 2019] (LMA) governs all matters related to marriages in Tanzania. According to Section 112(2), a marriage that has been dissolved does not prevent either party from entering into a new marriage. This means that after your divorce, both you and your ex-wife are free to marry other people. Based on what you have shared with us, we do not see any grounds for pursuing legal action against the counsellor. If your spouse had begun seeing the counsellor while you were still married, you would have had the right to sue that person for damages due to adultery. However, since you are now divorced, this right no longer exists and in any case we are not sure if she was seeing the counsellor or someone else.

We understand the shock and betrayal you must be feeling, but it is important to remember that both your counsellor and your ex-wife are free to marry since section 9 of the LMA states that marriage is a voluntary union between a man and a woman, intended to last for their joint lives. It may be worthwhile to consult a professional to help you navigate these difficult times.

Having said the above, your lawyer can guide you on actions for breach of contract against your counsellor, particularly if you had a contract prohibiting relationships during the therapy period, or on reporting ethical violations based on the circumstances. We wish you all the best as you move into the next chapter of your life.