Divorce in Croatia: The Principles of No-Fault Divorce, Parental Responsibility, Parental Education, and Children's Rights

Abstract

This article deals with an interdisciplinary, legal and sociological, analysis of divorce in Croatia. In the legal context, we provide an overview of the legal and historical development of key elements appearing in relation with divorce: the principle of fault and parental custody of children after divorce. We present statistical data on concluded marriages, age at marriage conclusion, dissolved marriages, and duration of marriage in Croatia in the last fifty years. We provide guidelines for contemporary divorce regulation in Croatia by introducing mandatory education of parents prior to divorce involving children, family mediation, and meeting international liabilities of Croatia to provide children with the option of taking part in divorce proceedings. Keypoints for the Family Court Community The legal and historical development of the principle of fault and parental custody after divorce in Croatia New solutions: mandatory parental education, family mediation and child as a party to the divorce proceedings