France To Simplify Uncontested Divorces

About half of the divorces in France are what we call uncontested. In other words, the husband and wife reach agreement on everything from the get-go.

The French government now wants to send them on their way faster and save family court judges time for the contested cases where they are most needed.

Toward that end, court costs will only be approximately US $50 and no court hearings will be required.

But each spouse will still have to have an attorney.

Further, this simplified “judge-free” option is withdrawn “if a child requests to be heard by a magistrate”.

Some government officials would go further and eliminate the no hearing option in any case where the divorcing couple has minor children.

Every jurisdiction chooses its own lines in the sand. Time will tell whether France has chosen well.

Southeast Florida still requires at least an abbreviated hearing in all cases.

Read more in

  1. this Mashable article:France set to approve divorce by mutual consent without a judge
  2. this Findlaw / Associated Press article: France’s govt wants to allow divorce by mutual consent
  3. this Findlaw / Associated Press article: France’s government wants to allow divorce without a judge.
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