Is a verbal divorce valid if it occurred while she was at her family's home?

Divorce occurs simply by the husband saying to his wife's brother, "Your sister is divorced," and the wife's presence is not a condition. If the divorce is revocable (raj'i), the wife must return to the marital home until her 'iddah (waiting period) ends, and it is not permissible to expel her from it, as Allah Almighty says: "Do not expel them from their homes." It is advised not to rush into divorce and to seek means of reconciliation, because divorce is disliked in Islamic law and should not be resorted to except when all means of reconciliation have failed.