Cooling-off is a civil-affairs clock on agreed divorces — it is not a court waiting period.
For divorce registration, Civil Code rules generally impose a thirty-day cooling-off after the civil-affairs application. Either spouse can withdraw in that window. After it ends, both must apply to issue the divorce certificates within a further statutory period or the application lapses. Exceptions exist (for example some domestic-violence / guardianship-related situations under current implementing rules — confirm the current text). Court divorce does not use this civil-affairs clock. Do not treat a WeChat ‘we waited 30 days’ as registration.
4 questions before you choose the route.
This page identifies the right question and evidence. It does not determine the legal outcome on a reader’s facts.
Are you on the registration path?
If court, this clock does not apply.
PathWhen was the application accepted?
The clock starts on acceptance.
StartDid anyone withdraw?
Either spouse can.
WithdrawDid you complete in the second window?
Lapse means start again.
FinishWorking rule: Map the regulated role before marketing or launch in China.
The signal ledger.
These facts move the question beyond a label and into a product, money-flow and control analysis.
Bring a compact evidence docket—not a pitch deck.
Give a compliance team or counsel the operating facts that reveal the perimeter.
Questions people ask before they build.
Short answers for orientation. The right result can change with the service model and current rules.
Is it always 30 days?
That is the Civil Code default for registration. Confirm local practice and any statutory exceptions.
Can we skip it by going to court?
Court is a different path with its own timeline, not a skip button for people who already agree.
Primary authorities
Reviewed sources support orientation, not a fact-specific assessment.