12 July 2011
KUWAIT: According to statistics published recently by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), the number of divorce lawsuits filed in Kuwait far outnumbers other legal cases, with Kuwait's courts handling 27,500 divorces in 2010 alone. The data, compiled from the ministry's caseload for 2010, also indicated a 10% increase on the previous year in the number of all lawsuits filed in Kuwait's courts. Legal experts have expressed shock at the increase, warning that the issue requires immediate attention.
Lawyer Mariam Al-Bahar suggested that the principal reasons behind the high number of divorces in the country are incompatibility between couples and a lack of understanding of the reciprocal duties of marriage. "Without an education program that instills values of cooperation and better communication between couples, things will only keep getting worse," she warned.
Al-Bahar said that other reasons behind the high divorce rates include the interference of family members in couples' problems, hastiness and making rash decisions, and a lack of financial security, with irresponsible young couples overspending on luxuries while neglecting necessities. "A lot of clients complain that the husband is willing to take out a loan for an expensive car but can't afford to pay the rent at the end of the month," she revealed.
The lawyer explained that the majority of alimony cases are brought by women against former husbands who refuse to pay financial support towards raising their children. "Current law grants a husband a monthly allowance as soon as he's married, as well as a housing allowance," said Al-Bahar. "Even in the event of divorce, the man still receives these allowances, despite the fact that they should clearly be given to the woman who in most cases has to find a place to live on her own and is taking care of the
children. However, all proposals to amend that law are usually stalled until they're forgotten.
The lawyer revealed that Ministry of Justice [MoJ] legal experts have proposed the launch of several programs to help curb divorce rates in Kuwait, adding that the problem lies in delays in implementing these proposals. One of the proposed programs would require couples seeking a divorce to first meet with specialists from the MoJ's counseling department, with divorce only to be granted once the couple have attended a number of counseling sessions. The latest figures also show that the number of lawsuits f
iled against family members has increased, indicating an increase in reports of domestic violence.
KUWAIT: According to statistics published recently by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), the number of divorce lawsuits filed in Kuwait far outnumbers other legal cases, with Kuwait's courts handling 27,500 divorces in 2010 alone. The data, compiled from the ministry's caseload for 2010, also indicated a 10% increase on the previous year in the number of all lawsuits filed in Kuwait's courts. Legal experts have expressed shock at the increase, warning that the issue requires immediate attention.
Lawyer Mariam Al-Bahar suggested that the principal reasons behind the high number of divorces in the country are incompatibility between couples and a lack of understanding of the reciprocal duties of marriage. "Without an education program that instills values of cooperation and better communication between couples, things will only keep getting worse," she warned.
Al-Bahar said that other reasons behind the high divorce rates include the interference of family members in couples' problems, hastiness and making rash decisions, and a lack of financial security, with irresponsible young couples overspending on luxuries while neglecting necessities. "A lot of clients complain that the husband is willing to take out a loan for an expensive car but can't afford to pay the rent at the end of the month," she revealed.
The lawyer explained that the majority of alimony cases are brought by women against former husbands who refuse to pay financial support towards raising their children. "Current law grants a husband a monthly allowance as soon as he's married, as well as a housing allowance," said Al-Bahar. "Even in the event of divorce, the man still receives these allowances, despite the fact that they should clearly be given to the woman who in most cases has to find a place to live on her own and is taking care of the
children. However, all proposals to amend that law are usually stalled until they're forgotten.
The lawyer revealed that Ministry of Justice [MoJ] legal experts have proposed the launch of several programs to help curb divorce rates in Kuwait, adding that the problem lies in delays in implementing these proposals. One of the proposed programs would require couples seeking a divorce to first meet with specialists from the MoJ's counseling department, with divorce only to be granted once the couple have attended a number of counseling sessions. The latest figures also show that the number of lawsuits f
iled against family members has increased, indicating an increase in reports of domestic violence.
© Kuwait Times 2011
