The Introduction of the Cooling-Off Period Before Divorce Policy in China: An Empirical Analysis

Abstract

Since the introduction of the Civil Code of China, the cooling-off policy has been adopted as a compulsory requirement for couples who want to make a divorce registration in China. This paper examines the impact of the cooling-off period in China broadly, and specifically, whether couples are filing a divorce administratively or through court proceedings. To start measuring this impact, this paper gathered data from various official sources. The results demonstrate that the cooling-off period brings a significant decrease in the number of divorces by mutual consent and increases the number of couples who turn to the court to file a lawsuit.