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Express divorce bill: Senate prepares to approve modifications
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Culture & Society

Express divorce bill: Senate prepares to approve modifications

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Approved/passed
  • A "Express Divorce" bill is being discussed in Paraguay's Congress to simplify and reduce the cost of mutual consent divorces.
  • The proposed changes aim to eliminate the need for lawyers in cases of mutual agreement, significantly lowering expenses.
  • The bill has received technical adjustments and is expected to gain support from the ruling party for approval.

A legislative proposal dubbed "Express Divorce" is moving through Paraguay's Congress, aiming to streamline and reduce the financial burden of divorces based on mutual consent. The bill seeks to amend Article 5 of Law No. 45/91, making the process simpler, faster, and more affordable for couples who agree to separate.

It's not just about cutting down the deadlines, but also simplifying the process.

— Eduardo NakayamaExplaining the goals of the 'Express Divorce' bill.

Senator Eduardo Nakayama, a proponent of the legislation, explained that the modifications go beyond merely shortening timelines. "It's not just about cutting down the deadlines, but also simplifying the process," he stated. Currently, legal representation is required for divorce proceedings. The proposed law would remove this requirement when both parties consent, thereby drastically cutting costs.

We know that today the intervention of legal professionals is required to carry it out and from now on, with this bill, that will be dispensed with when there is mutual consent.

— Eduardo NakayamaDescribing the removal of mandatory legal representation.

Nakayama indicated that the bill, after undergoing technical legislative adjustments, secured the backing of the ruling party. "We have the commitment, let's say, from colleagues in the ruling party caucus that they will also share this, and in this way, we achieve what the project seeks, which is to give greater speed to divorce proceedings," he said.

With those corrections, we have the commitment, let's say, from colleagues in the ruling party caucus that they will also share this, and in this way, we achieve what the project seeks, which is to give greater speed to divorce proceedings.

— Eduardo NakayamaConfirming support from the ruling party after amendments.

The senator highlighted that many couples separate but do not finalize their divorces legally due to prohibitive costs, which can range from 4 to 8 million Paraguayan guaranis (approximately $550 to $1,100 USD). The "Express Divorce" aims to remove this economic barrier, allowing more people to legally conclude their marriages.

Many people separate but do not divorce legally because the barrier they always find is economic.

— Eduardo NakayamaExplaining the motivation behind the bill.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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