Experts say 30-minute divorce rule will ruin more marriages

Liberalised divorce regulations that cut the amount of time it takes to end a marriage from 30 days to 30 minutes will lead to a surge in the divorce rate, an expert has warned.

Before the law came into effect on October 1, a couple had to tell their employers or residence committees that they wanted to divorce and ask them for a signed letter of introduction addressed to the civil affairs department of the local government.

This requirement meant that many people knew the couple intended to divorce and it was common for social pressure to be applied for them to stay together.

Once the file was submitted, the couple had to go through a cooling-off period of at least 30 days.

Under the revised law, a couple has only to produce their marriage certificate and identification and then sign a joint statement saying they wish to get divorced. The whole process can take less than 30 minutes.

Media in Shanghai reported that more than 50 couples applied for divorces as soon as the new rules came into force, and most of them said they had waited because they wanted to avoid asking for the letter.

Wu Changzhen, a professor at China University of Political Science and Law, welcomed the enhancement of privacy rights but said the liberalised procedures meant more people would make hasty decisions to divorce.