China Passes Law Requiring “Cooling Off Period” Before Divorce

Everything that is happening to us now in the U.S. first happened in China. After lockdowns placed Chinese couples into close quarters with one another for extended periods of time, several Chinese rushed to the divorce court to end their marriage.

In China, you can have a divorce in about an hour if you really want to, but the Chinese have recently passed legislation requiring couples to cool off for a month before finalizing their divorce. But the new legislation has had the opposite effect, and now the Chinese are angry at their government for forcing them to wait before divorcing.

Efforts to Lower Divorce Rates 

States across the country require spouses to wait a set period of time before their divorce process begins. In Florida, you’re required to wait 20 days before your divorce moves forward. This is even if both spouses agree to the terms of the divorce and would otherwise waive the 20 wait period. If you really want to get a divorce as quickly as possible, you can try Las Vegas because not everything that happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

Nevada has always offered the fastest way to divorce in the country and a major industry has formed around getting a Nevada divorce. Nonetheless, you have to reside in the state for at least six weeks before pursuing a divorce. In some cases, the wait is worth it.

China Faces Pushback on New Law 

In China, the process of divorce is quite simple. You file a petition with a clerk and you’re divorced. But the alarming divorce rate has caused officials to implement a mandatory 30-day waiting period despite the outcries of those who vehemently oppose the law.

On the other hand, the “cooling off period” only applies to spouses who are filing joint agreements to divorce. In other words, those who are filing petitions alone can still seek a divorce without waiting the mandatory 30 days.

Nonetheless, social media lit up with complaints about the government’s role in deciding when couples can divorce. Many opposed the legislation because they believed it was overly paternalistic, and another indication that the Chinese government wants to control its citizens.

Nonetheless, China isn’t the only country in the world that is interested in lowering the country’s divorce rate. Right here in Florida, one legislator has been crusading for divorce reform that would stabilize the nuclear family. While we consider China to be a communist country that is opposed to organized religion, the Chinese have the same reasons for stabilizing the divorce rate as conservative Floridian Christian lawmakers. They simply don’t believe that a high divorce rate is conducive to a stable family or society.

Should legislators be allowed to tell couples to wait before getting a divorce? What do you think?

Talk to a West Palm Beach Divorce Attorney Today 

If you’re one of the folks whose marriage won’t survive, call the West Palm Beach divorce attorneys at Bruce S. Rosenwater & Associates today to learn more about how we can help.

Resources:

miamiherald.com/opinion/op-ed/article237003884.html

theguardian.com/world/2020/may/29/anger-in-china-at-law-ordering-cooling-off-period-before-divorce

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