European Union Law

Several Cypriot laws have been enacted to regulate the complicated and very delicate matters of family law. All matters relating to family relations are resolved by the Family Courts, the jurisdiction of which are derived from section 111 (as amended by Law N.95/89) of the Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus.

Family Courts in Cyprus, due to the large number of cases handled over the years, have created their own jurisprudence, which has created the legal principles in force for Cyprus family matters, and it can be argued that, as a result, an autonomous Cypriot family law system had been created. The Courts handle various cases involving divorce, interruption of cohabitation and use of family housing, relationships between parents and children, and relationships between spouses.

Nowadays, divorce cases have become more common. Regardless of whether or not a divorce has already been filed, our team provides legal advice regarding the rights and obligations of the spouses during the time between the dissolution of the marriage and the finalisation of the divorce, that is, the divorce period.

Another common issue that arises during this period is the use of the marital home. The Family Courts, when called upon to decide which of the two spouses should use the marital home during the interim period, having regard to the principles of leniency, take into account two factors, namely the particular circumstances of each spouse, and most importantly, the interest of the children.

During the dissolution of the marriage, property issues also arise and are regulated by The Spousal Property Regulation Law of 1991 (232/1991), which in sections 3-12 regulate spousal support and sections 13-17 regulate spouses’ property disputes, based on the spouses’ participation in the acquired property.

The main purpose of the spousal support obligation between the spouses is to support the weaker spouse financially. With regard to property disputes, the decisive factor in the distribution of property, in the event of a marriage dissolution, is the contribution of each spouse. The basic principle is that each spouse can claim his or her contribution to the other spouse's wealth. The law introduces a presumption, according to which each spouse's contribution to the other's increase in wealth is equal to 1/3 of the increase, unless otherwise proven by the other party.

We provide expert service to clients who are going through divorce and separation issues, marriage and relationship breakdowns and we can deal with every aspect of family law. Our aim is to minimise conflict whenever possible and when it is deemed necessary to take a strong and effective legal action. We are experienced in dealing with family law matters and always empathize when children are involved.

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