Divorce
Spouses can file for divorce together or one of them can file alone. The petition does not have to be justified to the court, neither does the opposition of one of the spouses prevent the granting of a divorce.
The petition must be submitted to the district court in the municipality of either spouse’s residents. The dissolution of a registered partnership is subject to the same rules as divorce.
Divorce after a reflection period
Once the divorce petition has been filed, a six-month period of reflection begins. The spouses are informed by the district court of the start of the reflection period and of the steps they must take to obtain a final divorce decree.
At the end of the reflection period, the spouses or one of them can file a final second-stage divorce petition. The final petition must be made no later than one year after the start of the reflection period.
Divorce without a reflection period
If the spouses have lived apart for the last two years without interruption, the divorce can take effect without a reflection period. The spouses must prove that they are living separately, for example by means of an extract from the Population Register.
Divorce granted abroad
If a Finnish citizen has been granted a divorce by a foreign court, they must also notify the Finnish Population Information System about the divorce. More information on divorce granted abroad (dvv.fi).
A child in divorce
The parents sign an agreement on custody and right of access to the child with the municipal child welfare officer. An agreement confirmed by the authority is as binding as a court decision.
Even before meeting the child welfare officer, parents should read and fill in the parenting plan from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare.
More information
Child custody
In the event of divorce, parents may agree to joint custody or to leave the child in the sole custody of one of the parents. In joint custody, the parents decide together on matters concerning the child’s place of residence, schooling and health care. They can also agree on a mutual division of tasks.
A single parent decides on the child’s affairs alone.
Child’s residence and right of access
After divorce, a child can live with each parent alternately (alternating living arrangement) or with just one of the parents. If the child lives alternately with each parent, the parents must indicate in the custody and right of access agreement which parent’s home is the legal residence of the child. This determines, for example, where the child attends daycare, school and health care.
If the child lives with only one parent, he or she has the right to see the parent with whom he or she does not live. The parents must enable these meetings. Parents should agree in sufficient detail on the practical arrangements for visits, such as their duration and who will be responsible for the child’s travel from one parent to the other. When arranging the meetings, the child’s age, wishes, schooling, hobbies and any special arrangements that may be needed, must be taken into account.
Child maintenance
Parents are jointly responsible for their child’s maintenance, even after divorce. Maintenance is a financial contribution by a parent to the costs of bringing up their child.
The obligation to pay maintenance and the amount of maintenance are assessed on a case-by-case basis. The starting point is the child’s individual needs for maintenance and the parents’ ability to pay.
The parents can agree on child custody, access and maintenance with a municipal child welfare officer before the divorce is filed or during the reflection period.
Division of matrimonial property
The spouses can agree on the division of property between them, once the divorce is pending. A dated, signed document of partition, witnessed by two competent persons, is sufficient.
If the spouses cannot agree on the division of property, they can apply to the district court for a decision to appoint an external estate distributor.
It may be necessary to use legal counsel when dividing up property. Compensation for legal costs can be obtained from legal expenses insurance or legal aid. More information on legal aid.
Withdrawal of the divorce petition
If, during the reflection period, it appears that divorce is not the solution the spouses want, the divorce petition can be withdrawn. The withdrawal can take place until the district court has given its decision on the divorce after the reflection period.
The divorce petition can be withdrawn by means of a free-form application signed by both spouses. The withdrawal is submitted to the same district court where the divorce petition was filed.