Shanghai plans to make it easier for couples to get divorced, by reducing the time couples have to wait for filling out an application. The Marriage Management Department also plans to create an online appointment system so couples can apply in advance, according to China Daily.
Divorce registration used to be a fairly simple process, taking just half an hour, until new government regulations said that couples must confirm their desire for a divorce with separate officials. The result has doubled waiting times.
Increased waiting times are also due to an increased number of divorces — divorce rates have risen in China for the past twelve years. In 2014, more than 3.6 million couples got divorced, a 3.9 percent increase on the previous year.
Ms. Sun Xiaohong of the Shanghai Civil Affairs Bureau said that new measures would shorten waiting times for a divorce. However some Weibo users criticised the move, claiming that it would only encourage couples to get divorced.
This article originally appeared on our sister site, Urban Family.
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