Divorce for Foreigners

French divorce law underwent major reform in 2017, introducing divorce par consentement mutuel sans juge (mutual consent without judge appearance), now the most common option. Both spouses must each hire their own avocat (mandatory legal representation), who jointly draft the convention de divorce covering child custody (often résidence alternée or shared custody), financial arrangements, prestation compensatoire (compensatory payment to balance living standards), and property division. After receiving the draft, couples must observe a 15-day reflection period (délai de réflexion) before both parties sign the convention at a Notaire, who deposits it with the court making the divorce official - total timeline is typically 1-3 months. Contested divorces (divorce contentieux) occur when agreement is impossible and proceed through the JAF (Juge aux Affaires Familiales). The lawyer files a divorce petition (requête), the judge sets provisional measures (mesures provisoires) for interim arrangements, and multiple court hearings occur before final judgment - this process takes 1-3 years depending on complexity. France recognizes four divorce types: mutual consent (fastest), accepted divorce (both agree to divorce but not terms), fault-based divorce (needs proof), and divorce for separation (2+ years). Post-divorce, état civil is automatically updated, and you must notify CAF for benefit changes and Impôts for tax status updates starting the following year.