WHATS SEPARATION AND DIVORCE LIKE IN GERMANY ?
A. Divorce Overview: To file for divorce in Germany (assuming one of you is a legal resident of the country), you must have lived apart for at least one full year to get an uncontested divorce, and at least three full years to get a contested divorce. The only ground for a divorce is an irretrievable breakdown of the marriage. The German system uses a so-called “package divorce”. This means that, by law, the judge not only has to address the issue of the dissolution of the marriage but also of custody, child support, spousal support and retirement benefits, both military and civilian. All the other issues will only be addressed on a petition to the court. Retirement benefits and marital property (money, bank accounts, real property, debts) are two completely different issues in Germany and they are always treated separately. Also household goods are subject to specific legal provisions. Other specific points are: >A German court cannot divide American retirement benefits, and the spous
