As salaam alaikum, 

I have a question regarding divorce through a court of law. Intention here is to understand from shariah perspective whether according to shariah if the divorce accepted in the court of law is VALID or NOT-VALID ? This is without announcing talaq either verbally or in written ever ( not even once )  to my wife. Is rule of the land override shariah law? 

Just as someone who intends to marry one have  to first get marriage license and must perform nikah in order to live in a married relationship, so is it not MUST  to take/get divorce ( talaq )  according to shariah as well after getting divorce through court of law? 

I and my ex-wife, legally divorced through court order, having one child. After an extremely tumultuous, stormy period of living with extreme level of perseverance with my wife and not seeing any relief or a way to make marital life even remotely peaceful and many attempts of reconciliation failed, I as a way of saving myself from many issues had filed for divorce after a separation of 1 year away from each other and it was accepted. 

We are living in separation and no contact except via email. I told her to take khula and she doesn't say anything and just said you filed for divorce and it will be accepted everywhere, I understand legally it will be accepted and that was the intention to get away legally for various reasons and have a window open in case she intends to save the marriage at least even for the sake of our child who we both love.

Question is, since I never said talaq to her verbally or in written or have ever intended nor she asked for it but due to consistent turbulence and for my safety I filed and got divorced but need to know if this divorce through court of law is valid according to shariah or is the marriage still intact? 

I read online and heard from few that divorce is not done according to shariah and MUST  be done by way of talaq/khula and some said it's divorced as that's the rule of the land/country. If it's rule of the country then can one take marriage license and consider married Islamically? When after getting a marriage license, performing nikah and then while divorced is it not must to divorce through talaq/khula to make it valid according to shariah? 

Please think through and let me know. 

Jazakallah Khair