Application for divorce of a marriage

Procedure

The divorce petition must be filed with the family court by your lawyer, usually after the separation period of at least one year.

• The court then serves the petition on the opposing party to the divorce. There is no attorney requirement for approval of the divorce petition.
• As a rule, the divorce settlement also includes the equalization of pensions, i.e. the fair division of the pension rights acquired by the spouses during the marriage. To this end, the Local Court will ex officio request you and your spouse to inform it of your pension providers and will then ask the pension providers for information on the pension rights acquired by you and your spouse during the marriage.
• In addition, you and your spouse may also file other subsequent matters in the divorce proceedings, e.g. the subsequent matters of equalization of gains or postmarital maintenance.
• At the hearing on the petition for divorce, you and your spouse will generally be heard in person on the prerequisites for divorce.
• If the requirements for divorce are met, the family court will pronounce the divorce by order.

Legal bases

• § 111 Nr. 1 Gesetz über das Verfahren in Familiensachen und in den Angelegenheiten der freiwilligen Gerichtsbarkeit (FamFG)
• § 114 Abs. 1 Gesetz über das Verfahren in Familiensachen und in den Angelegenheiten der freiwilligen Gerichtsbarkeit (FamFG)
• §§ 1564 ff. Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch (BGB)
• § 113 Abs. 1 Gesetz über das Verfahren in Familiensachen und in den Angelegenheiten der freiwilligen Gerichtsbarkeit (FamFG)
• § 121 Nr. 1 Gesetz über das Verfahren in Familiensachen und in den Angelegenheiten der freiwilligen Gerichtsbarkeit (FamFG)
• §§ 133 ff. Gesetz über das Verfahren in Familiensachen und in den Angelegenheiten der freiwilligen Gerichtsbarkeit (FamFG)
• § 43 Gesetz über Gerichtskosten in Familiensachen (FamGKG)

More information

Please consult a lawyer.