Czechia attempts to make divorce easier
Children are the most vulnerable victims of divorce. Photo ANP, Roos Koole
Central Europe
Breaking up marriage should become easier and quicker in the Czech Republic. Currently, the Minister of Justice is working on amendments regarding divorce proceedings.
One of the proposed changes is that a court will no longer have to ask spouses about their motivation to part ways, Radio Prague International reports. In addition, judges may combine the proceedings about the divorce itself and potential child custody regulations.
The amendments should become part of the Civil Code, according to the Czech news website Novinky. Deputy Antonín Stanislav presented them on Monday during a press conference in the House of Representatives.
According to Stanislav, the current divorce legislation contains “some elements that are considered outdated in terms of application practice, complicating and prolonging the divorce process for spouses for whom divorce is the inevitable solution to the situation.”
If several elements of the divorce process are combined, delays will be prevented, the deputy expects.
Complicate
In addition, the costs of a divorce should also be decreased, the new amendment reads. This is accomplished by lowering the fee for spouses who have quickly agreed on the conditions of their separation, Penize writes. The spouses then only have to go to court once, which saves the costs of having to attend a session at a divorce court as is common today.
However, if one of the two spouses complicates the process by appealing a decision, for example, about child custody, these costs will be increased, Penize states. The Ministry of Justice explains that this should deter people from unnecessarily prolonging the process.
Punishment
The amendments also include a ban on using physical punishment on children, CT 24 reports. However, the ban will only be declaratory, without penalties for those who violate it. According to Stanislav, the ban will mostly be symbolic.
The amendments need to be reviewed by the government and the Parliament. If they are passed, they should come into force on January 1, 2025.
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