THE NEW family law drafted by the Justice Ministry will be submitted to the cabinet in three versions, Justice Minister Daniel Lipšic from the Christian Democratic Movement said.
According to the state-run news agency TASR, the ministry is responding to criticism that emerged in connection with efforts to introduce a clause aimed at protecting a partner who is against a proposed divorce.
According to the first version, the court will not end a marriage if one partner is against the action. The ministry's intent is to make sure that the economically weaker partner will not struggle financially, especially after a long marriage. The law enables a judge to divorce "a seriously and irreversibly damaged" marriage, however, where a husband and wife have been separated for at least three years.
The second version of the bill completely omits this clause.
The third version stipulates that a judge will not facilitate the divorce if the partner who did not contribute to the split of the marriage and for whom the divorce could bring serious health consequences does not agree with the step. However, this clause again would not apply to marriages in which partners have been separated for at least three years.
