Avioero

Divorce can be filed either by one or both of the spouses. Divorce is filed in the office of the local District Court of one of the spouses. 

If divorce is filed by only one of the parties, the District Court will deliver the document to the other spouse. The proceedings will lead to a divorce even if the other party objects. Information on divorce is available on the website of the Ministry of Justice (oikeusministeriö).

Voluntary family arbitration is available in divorce cases as an alternative to court proceedings. All members or only some of the members of the family may take part in the arbitration proceedings. More information on arbitration is available in social services offices and on the website of the Ministry of Justice.

If a family has children, it is important to agree on their livelihood and residency. The website of the Association of Single Guardians and Joint Guardians (Yksinhuoltajien ja yhteishuoltajien liitto) has varied information about divorce.

The Family Problems page of the Info Bank has information on agencies that provide family counselling.