Family law in Cyprus is getting modernized with eight new bills – four of which are now under review by the House Legal Committee.
One of the new provisions is that only one Family Court judge will review the divorce applications submitted by a couple. And minors will be able to testify behind closed doors if requested by any of the two parties.
As for grounds for divorce, these will be the same for all religious groups in Cyprus.
At the same time, the Justice Ministers, representatives of the Church, lawyers and religious groups have agreed that the conciliation process will last for six weeks rather than the current three months.
And the relevant application to the Bishopric concerned will be able to be submitted electronically as well.
The amendments are expected to be voted before Christmas since this is the goal of the parliamentary committee which wants the rest of the package of bills to be discussed early in 2023.
These focus on parental care of children and a provision is introduced to allow the Court, if requested, a minor to participate in the process or part of it. This should be carried out behind closed doors in order to ensure the privacy of the parties and the child.
