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Procedure descriptions

Apply for divorce

Would you like a divorce?

Divorce proceedings take place before the family court.

As the applicant, you must be represented by a lawyer.

Your spouse does not need legal representation if he or she

  • agrees to the divorce and
  • does not wish to make any applications themselves (for example applications for maintenance or equalisation of gains).

Responsible department

the local court (family court) in whose district one of the spouses lives with all their minor children at the time the divorce petition is served

Note: If you do not have any children or if they do not all live with one of the spouses, a number of other jurisdictional rules may apply. Your lawyer will check these before filing for divorce. This also applies to divorces with a foreign connection, for example if one of the spouses is not a German citizen.

Details

Prerequisite

  • The marriage must have broken down.
    A marriage has broken down if the spouses are no longer living together and a resumption of the marriage is not to be expected (breakdown of the marriage). This is presumed to be the case if the spouses are at least
    • have been separated for at least one year and both want a divorce or
    • have been separated for three years.
  • If you have been separated for less than a year, the court can only divorce you if continuing the marriage would be an unreasonable hardship for you for reasons relating to the other spouse.

Procedure

Your lawyer must apply for a divorce in your name to the competent authority.
They will deliver the divorce petition to your wife or husband.

Please note: The date of service of the application is important for pension equalisation and any equalisation of gains. You will receive a questionnaire on pension equalisation at the same time as the application is served. You must complete this and return it to the court.

The marriage is divorced as a result of the court's final judgement.

You or your wife or husband can lodge an appeal against the divorce decree and the associated decisions with the Higher Regional Court.

Deadlines

Please seek legal advice in individual cases.

Required documents

depending on the specific individual case

Costs

In divorces where the spouses are in agreement, the court usually orders that the costs be cancelled. This means that each spouse pays their own legal fees and half of the court costs.
If you are unable to pay the costs of the proceedings, you can apply for financial assistance (legal aid) for the divorce proceedings.

Note: If the spouses have reached another agreement on the costs, the court can approve this in full or in part.

If the application for divorce is rejected, the applicant must bear all the costs.

Tip: You can obtain specific information about the costs incurred in divorce proceedings from your lawyer.

Miscellaneous

Please seek legal advice in individual cases.

Legal basis

Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch (BGB):

  • §§ 1564 ff. Scheidung der Ehe

Gesetz über das Verfahren in Familiensachen und in den Angelegenheiten der freiwilligen Gerichtsbarkeit (FamFG):

  • § 114 Vertretung durch einen Rechtsanwalt
  • §§ 121 ff. Verfahren in Ehesachen

Release note

machine generated, based on the German release by: Justizministerium Baden-Württemberg, 27.02.2025

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