China Inbound Legal Guides · Divorce & Family

Divorce & Family

Family files split: safety and custody first, then marital property, then whether a foreign decree does any work in China.

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Children, property, or recognition of a foreign order? Open the matching topic route or counsel — this hub does not decide the legal outcome on your facts.

China family-law route covering marriage, divorce, children, property, recognition and agreements.

6topic routes

UpdatedAugust 2026

AudienceForeign nationals, mixed-nationality couples and international families

Safety and urgent child-movement issues

Use an urgent route only where immediate safety, removal, travel or time-sensitive court action changes what the user should do next.

Open deadline route

Signature · Family matter & child-safety route map

Marriage, children, property and foreign orders are different files.

person/status → event → documents/orders → jurisdiction → next route

StatusMarried, separated, foreign order
ChildrenCustody and safety first
PropertyMarital vs separate assets
ForumChina court vs foreign decree
PaperAgreements and recognition

Start with the situation

Children, property, or recognition of a foreign order?

Each topic owns one bounded decision, then connects to deeper guides, local context or counsel. This hub does not duplicate long-form analysis.

Marriage

Marriage & documentation

Registration, status documents, cross-border marriage context and early planning questions.

First jobClarify status, registration route and document context.

Open topic route

Divorce

Divorce process & forum

Mutual-consent and court routes, forum facts, service and the first process decision.

First jobIdentify the viable process and forum before planning the case.

Open topic route

03Priority screen

Child custody

Child custody, travel & safety

Child location, safety, existing orders, travel, relocation and urgent cross-border concerns.

First jobScreen safety, location, movement and existing orders before ordinary research.

Open topic route

Marital property

Marital property & assets

Real estate, income, equity, debts, evidence and assets spread across jurisdictions.

First jobMap assets, ownership and evidence before assuming classification or outcome.

Open topic route

Recognition

Recognition & foreign orders

What a foreign decree, judgment or legal document needs to do in another legal system.

First jobSeparate document authentication, recognition and enforcement.

Open topic route

Pre-marital agreements

Agreement scope, execution, language, governing law and cross-border planning context.

First jobClarify assets, jurisdictions and execution before signing.

Open topic route

Common entry points

Already know what is happening?

01I want to get a divorce in ChinaStart with process, forum and document context.02I have a child custody or travel concernStart with child location, safety, movement and existing orders.03I have a foreign divorce or court orderSeparate authentication, recognition and enforcement questions.

Curated resources

Go deeper without losing the route.

Long-form analysis lives on canonical guides. This hub only points.

core guide

Divorce in China for Foreigners

National framework for process, property, children and foreign judgments.

deep guide

Cross-border divorce involving China

Forum, service, parallel proceedings and two-jurisdiction planning.

deep guide

Child custody, Hague and China

Safety-first orientation for custody, travel and child-movement questions.

deep guide

Cross-border pre-marital agreements

Agreement formation, execution, language and applicable-law context.

deep guide

Can a foreign divorce decree be recognised in China?

Separate document authentication from recognition and enforcement.

deep guide

Dividing property across two countries

Evidence, characterisation, preservation and cross-border asset questions.

Local context

Add the city only when it changes implementation.

Local court and administrative implementation can matter after the national legal question is identified.

Open city and province guides

Counsel hand-off

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