Divorce Rate In China Drops 70% After Its Govt Introduces Mandatory 30 Days ‘Cooling-Off’ Period

With the start of the pandemic more than a year ago, working from home has become the norm with mandatory lockdowns forcing everyone to be confined within the vicinity of their respective residences. While many find it a blessing whereby they can now spend more time with family, it seems to have the opposite effect in China last year.

We reported last year how couples in China were getting divorced after being quarantined together for too long and statistics definitely backed that claim. The country’s Ministry of Civil Affairs recorded a whopping 1.06 million divorces in the final quarter of 2020 alone!

Well, this worrying statistic prompted the Chinese government to introduce something drastic which turned out to be quite successful. As reported by CNN, the nation put into law a new Civil Code back at the start of 2021 which makes it mandatory for couples filing a divorce to wait 30 days after submitting their application. During this time, either party may withdraw from the petition to divorce. Furthermore, should they want to continue with the divorce, they must reapply after the 30 days period is over.

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This mandatory ‘cooling-off’ period helps couples to reassess their relationship and decide whether parting ways is the best option. It is also hoped to avoid couples to make a rash decision at the spur of the moment.

The move seems to be quite a success because as of March 2021, the first quarter of the year saw a whopping 70% decrease in divorce cases in China. Specifically, 296,000 divorces were registered in 2021’s first quarter in comparison to 1,060,000 divorces in the final quarter of 2020. Furthermore, it is also a 52% drop from the same period last year which saw 612,000 divorces recorded.

While this new Civil Code may look revolutionary in China, it is actually not something new in the rest of the world. Both France and the United Kingdom have a similar ‘cooling-off’ period for couples seeking divorce by mutual consent. In France, the period is 2 weeks while the United Kingdom has a 6 weeks period to avoid ‘impulsive’ divorces.

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However, the introduction of this new Civil Code in China has been criticised by many quarters in the country. Many has viewed the new law as unfavourable and a needless curtailing of personal freedoms which has only recently been gained in much of the country. Furthermore, many see it as potentially trapping people in an unhappy or even violent marriages.

What do you guys think of this mandatory ‘cooling-off’ period? Should this be implemented in Malaysia as well? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.

Also read: China Man Shoves GF In Front Of Oncoming Bus After Quarrelling With Her And Walks Away