Divorce by Consent from a Distance: Everything You Need to Know

What happens when a couple decides they need to divorce, but they already live in two separate countries?

In today’s social environment, it is not uncommon for people to easily move abroad and start a new life in a different country. Working, traveling, and studying abroad have become easier in today’s culture, so it is more likely for people of different nationalities to meet and build relationships and families.

So, what happens when a couple decides they need to divorce, but they already live in two separate countries? Divorce is already a stressful and delicate matter, but doing it from a different country seems impossible, right? Fortunately, there are solutions for these situations that can save you from moving back to your native country or for your spouse to fly across the world to go to a hearing.

Divorce by Consent: What You Need to Know

First of all, it is best to get connected to a St. Louis divorce attorney who has experience with international law and who can tell you exactly what legal conventions there are between the two countries. Second of all, please be aware that not all couples can divorce from a distance. You would have to both agree to divorce and not have any dependent children to do it.

There are two approaches to divorcing from a distance:

• Granting someone else the power to act by proxy
• Giving your personal consent at different notaries

The first option can be expensive, as divorce hearings can take a while. Employing someone to act by proxy means you have to rely on that person for a long time. In many cases, personal consent is still the better option.

How Is Divorce by Personal Consent Done from a Distance?

First of all, the two parties must sign a Regulatory Agreement that will liquidate the existing economic regime. Then, the two spouses must find public notaries who are qualified to do international deeds and willing to take their case.

One of the spouses will start the process by granting a divorce deed from the country they are from and legalizing it properly to be considered valid in the other spouse’s country. Then, the second spouse releases a deed through their representative. The two deeds will be submitted to the civil registry that will finalize the process.

Contact An Experienced Divorce Attorney

Divorce from a distance can only be considered valid if both parties have submitted their deeds legally and when a notary collects both statements, declaring the marriage dissolved. 

Divorce by consent from a distance is a lifesaver for those couples who have separated and decided to continue their lives in different countries. This type of freedom allows them to keep their present jobs, homes, and relationships without moving for their right to divorce.