Cooling-off Period
The cooling-off period may raise the cost of divorce for couples who have thought clearly about their marital relationship, but its function is avoiding impulsive divorce. At the same time, the civil affairs authorities should approve divorce for couples who have reached the decision rationally.
Long Jun, professor at Tsinghua University Law School
Under the new Civil Code, which came into effect on January 1, 2021, couples have a 30-day cooling-off period after handing their divorce application to the civil affairs department. During the period, either party can withdraw the application.
China’s rising divorce rate has become an important reason for the introduction of the cooling-off period. In 2020, the number of registered marriages nationwide was 8.13 million, and the number of registered divorces was 3.73 million. China’s divorce rate increased for 17 consecutive years from 2003 to 2019.
Studies show that the top three killers of marriages are domestic trivia (34.21 percent), long-term separation (30.16 percent), and lack of commitment (8.31 percent), followed by infidelity, incompatibility, and financial troubles.