Cool off, Chinese court tells cuckold husband in divorce case
- Couple urged to repair their relationship after man learns daughter is not his biological child
- Decision to reject divorce application in line with new rule requiring a 30-day cooling-off period
A man in central China is appealing against a court decision rejecting his divorce application on the grounds that his daughter was not his biological child.
The 44-year-old man, identified only by his surname Tang, filed the request with the Liling People’s Court in Liling, Hunan province, earlier this year after learning his three-year-old daughter was not his biological child, the Shangyou News reported on Friday.
The couple agreed they had become incompatible and Tang said he filed the application because they could not reach terms on the division on property, the report said.。
But the court rejected the request last week, saying the couple should take some time to rethink their decision.
“[They should] give each other some time to repair their relationship, which is better for social stability and family harmony,” the court said.
The report said the decision was in line with “the legislative intent of the ‘cooling-off’ period”, a rule that took effect from January in response to the rise in divorce rates.
The law requires couples to wait 30 days after filing for a divorce to “rethink” their decision. After that period, they must return to the civil affairs department to finalise the divorce.