The permanence of the causes of divorce in the Colombian legal system has been a matter of debate inside the country. One of the arguments of the jurisprudence, to maintain the causes, is the importance of the protection of the family, because the divorce extended the nucleus, and only must be accepted in specific cases. The concept of family, its evolution and current definition, are studied to demonstrate that the family today is more extensive and is not born or depends on the marriage bond. The text contrast the concept with the arguments necessary to maintain the divorce with causes, conclude that it does not currently coincide.