The harmonisation of private international law in Europe: taking the character out of family law?

This article examines the recent expansion of EU regulation of the private international law aspects of divorce and its consequences. The application of Brussels IIbis, the Maintenance Regulation, Rome III and the proposed Rome IV to a typical divorce case will be investigated to see if this unwieldy system is coherent in application. It is argued that the envisaged framework for international divorce is becoming unmanageable and that the characterisation of divorce by the EU into the three snapshots of decree, maintenance and matrimonial property ignores the ties between these three events provided by domestic policy

The reciprocal relationship between the state and union formation across Western Europe: policy dimensions and theoretical considerations

Although cohabitation and childbearing within cohabitation has increased dramatically in Europe over the past decades, the variation across Europe remains remarkable. Most studies on changing union formation have not explicitly addressed how state policies may be facilitating cohabitation or, alternatively, stalling the increase of cohabitation by privileging marriage. Indeed, the relationship between policies and union formation is complicated, as states may have passed legislation in response to increasing cohabitation. As a first step to understanding this reciprocal relationship, we provide here an overview of the policies that may impact union formation. Drawing on secondary sources and legal documents, we describe the policy dimensions that regulate the relationship between couples, and between couples and their children. We also discuss theoretical issues and explore examples from across Western Europe. As a whole, this overview raises questions about the changing “institution” of marriage, as well as the increasing “institutionalization” of cohabitation.Europe, cohabitation

Een nieuw contractenrecht voor Europa: de Principles of European Contract Law vanuit Nederlands perspectief

De ontwerpers van de Lando Principles hopen dat deze uiteindelijk de basis zullen vormen voor een Europees contractenrecht. Maar zal de Nederlandse jurist afstand willen doen van een belangrijk gedeelte van het nog maar kort geleden in werking getreden nieuwe verbintenissenrecht? Op sommige punten blijkt de Lando-Commissie geïnspireerd te zijn door het Nederlandse BW, op andere punten zijn er duidelijk afwijkingen. Ondanks de verschillen kunnen de Principles aanvaardbaar zijn voor de Nederlandse jurist, omdat ze regelingen hebben opgeleverd die superieur zijn aan het huidig Nederlands recht

The Effect of Divorce Laws on Divorce Rates in Europe

This paper analyzes a panel of 18 European countries spanning from 1950 to 2003 to examine the extent to which the legal reforms leading to "easier divorce" that took place during the second half of the 20th century have contributed to the increase in divorce rates across Europe. We use a quasi-experimental set-up and exploit the different timing of the reforms in divorce laws across countries. We account for unobserved country-specific factors by introducing country fixed effects, and we include country-specific trends to control for time-varying factors at the country level that may be correlated with divorce rates and divorce laws, such as changing social norms or slow moving demographic trends. We find that the different reforms that "made divorce easier" were followed by significant increases in divorce rates. The effect of no-fault legislation was strong and permanent, while unilateral reforms only had a temporary effect on divorce rates. Overall, we estimate that the legal reforms account for about 20 percent of the increase in divorce rates in Europe between 1960 and 2002

A comparative legal analysis of the effects of divorce on marital property

The movement of people from county to country brought about an increase in international marriages. However, South African private international law rules with regard to the proprietary consequences of marriage are not on par with their foreign counterparts. The prejudicial rule which governs proprietary consequences of marriage has raised difficulties for our courts in past and recent cases. The advent of a new constitutional dispensation in South Africa forbids discrimination based on sex, gender and marital status. Furthermore, the question is asked whether parties to a marriage with a foreign matrimonial domicile may rely on section 7(3) of the Divorce Act 70 of 1979. The classification of redistribution orders in private international law matters has given rise to uncertainty. The objectives of the study are to suggest workable alternatives to the current connecting factor for proprietary consequences of marriage in South African private international law and to investigate the availability of redistribution orders to spouses applying for divorce in South Africa.Private LawLL. M

The effect of divorce laws on divorce rates in Europe

This paper analyzes a panel of 18 European countries spanning from 1950 to 2003 to examine the extent to which the legal reforms leading to “easier divorce” that took place during the second half of the 20th century have contributed to the increase in divorce rates across Europe. We use a quasi-experimental set-up and exploit the different timing of the reforms in divorce laws across countries. We account for unobserved country-specific factors by introducing country fixed effects, and we include country-specific trends to control for time-varying factors at the country level that may be correlated with divorce rates and divorce laws, such as changing social norms or slow moving demographic trends. We find that the reforms were followed by significant increases in divorce rates. Overall, we estimate that the introduction of no-fault, unilateral divorce increased the divorce rate by about 1, a sizeable effect given the average rate of 4.2 divorces per 1,000 married people in 2002.Divorce rates, legislation

Changing the past: retroactive choice of law and the protection of third parties in the European regulations on patrimonial consequences of marriages and registered partnerships = Cambiando el pasado: elección retroactiva de la ley aplicable y protección de terceras partes en los reglamentos europeos sobre los efectos patrimoniales de los matrimonios y de las uniones registradas.

Abstract: Two forthcoming EU Regulations are going to address, inter alia, the law applicable to the patrimonial consequences of marriages and registered partnerships. Under the Regulations, spouses and partners will not only be able to choose the applicable law but they are also granted the right to give their choice of law retroactive effect. Although the patrimonial consequences of marriages and partnerships are of relevance primarily to the spouses and registered partners, they may also directly affect the legal position of third parties. The aim of this paper is to identify and analyze the risks for third parties inherent in a retroactive change of the applicable law and the measures implemented in the Regulations to safeguard third party interests.Keywords: matrimonial property regime, partnership property regime, applicable law, choice of law, retroactivity, third parties.Resumen: Dos Reglamentos europeos regirán, entre otras cosas, la ley aplicable a los efectos patrimoniales de los matrimonios y de las uniones registradas. Según los Reglamentos, los cónyuges y los miembros de la unión además de poder elegir la ley aplicable tienen la posibilidad de dotar esta elección de efecto retroactivo. Aunque los efectos patrimoniales de los matrimonios y de las uniones registradas tienen relevancia ante todo para los cónyuges y los miembros de la unión registrada, pueden afectar directamente a la posición jurídica de terceras partes. El objetivo de este artículo es identificar y analizar los riesgos para terceros inherentes a un cambio retroactivo de la ley aplicable y las medidas implementadas en los Reglamentos para salvaguardar los intereses de terceras partes.Palabras clave: régimen económico matrimonial, efectos patrimoniales de las uniones registradas, ley aplicable, elección de la ley aplicable, retroactividad, terceras partes

Bescherming van zwakkere personen, de zogenaamde 'personae miserabiles', in het familie(vermogens)recht, in het bijzonder het belang van het kind.

Het personen- en familierecht, zoals dit is neergelegd in Boek 1 BW, bevat rechtsregels voor natuurlijke personen, mensen van vlees en bloed, op het gebied van hun rechtsbevoegdheid, handelingsbevoegdheid en handelingsbekwaamheid. Uitgangspunt is dat alle mensen gelijkwaardig zijn. Dit is zo’n algemeen aanvaard en vanzelfsprekend beginsel, dat dit niet eens voorkomt in de algemene bepalingen van titel 1.1 BW, maar niettemin geldend recht is. Artikel 1:1 lid 1 BW bepaalt slechts dat allen die zich in Nederland bevinden, vrij zijn en bevoegd tot het genot van de burgerlijke rechten. Dit laatste betekent dat de genoemde personen rechtsbevoegd zijn, dus rechtssubject – subject van rechten en verplichtingen – kunnen zijn (zie ook art. 6 UVRM en art. 16 IVBPR ). Artikel 1:1 lid 2 BW voegt hieraan toe dat persoonlijke dienstbaarheden, van welke aard of onder welke benaming ook, niet worden geduld, hetgeen betekent dat Nederland geen slavernij kent. Soortgelijke voorschriften treft men aan in artikel 4 UVRM, artikel 4 lid 1 EVRM en artikel 8 lid 1 IVBPR