Getting a French divorce recognised in another country
The procedure to get a divorce granted in France recognised abroad varies depending on the country…
Enforcing a foreign divorce ruling in France
If you have divorced abroad and you need to enforce your divorce judgement in France, you will need to take legal action in France to obtain an “exequatur” of the divorce.
Verified by Maître Hansu Yalaz on 09/02/2024
If you have divorced abroad and your ex-spouse does not comply with certain decisions of the judge, you may initiate proceedings with the public prosecutor known as the “procureur de la République” to obtain the enforcement called an “exequatur” of the divorce in France.
How to proceed
You will need to hire a French lawyer to make this request.
Your lawyer will send an official request called an “assignation en exequatur” to the public prosecutor or “procureur de la République”.
If the “procureur de la République” considers that the foreign judgement respects the French private international laws, i.e. that it is considered “opposable” in France, they will provide you with a document called the “exequatur” of the divorce.
With this document, you will be able to request compulsory enforcement of the decisions taken in connection with your divorce.
To find out more, you can find information about the solutions available in case of:
Find support
In France, there are many services that can support you, give you advice, and assist you with procedures and paperwork. Most of them are free of charge.
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The “Centres d'Information sur les Droits des Femmes et des Familles (CIDFF)” helps the general public, especially women, in many areas such as: legal rights, health, employment searches, training, business creation, and even childcare.
- These services are free of charge.
- They will be able to inform you of your rights and the steps to take. Some centres can assist you with procedures and paperwork.
- Languages available: mainly French.
- Contact: you will find the contact details of the “CIDFF” in your area in this directory.
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The centres called “ point-justice ” bring together various organisations that give you legal advice depending on your situation, and sometimes help you with your administrative procedures.
- These services are free of charge.
- These centres have many names: “Maison de Justice et du Droit (MJD)”, “Point d’accès au droit (PAD)”, "Relais d’accès au droit (RAD)”, “Antenne de justice (AJ)” or “France services (FS)”.
- Languages available: mainly French.
- You can find a “point-justice” near you :
- on this online directory.
- by telephone on 3039 from mainland France and on +33 9 70 82 31 90 from overseas. They will ask you for your postal code and put you in touch with a “point-justice”. Languages available: mainly French.
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“Femmes Informations Juridiques Internationales Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (FIJI)” is an organization specializing in international family law.
- This service is free.
- Their team of lawyers will be able to answer your questions and provide you with advice concerning your separation, divorce and/or child custody matters. This is an information service only: they cannot represent you in legal proceedings, you will have to contact a lawyer for this.
- Languages available: French, English.
- Contact: by e-mail at [email protected] or by telephone on 04 78 03 33 63 from Monday to Wednesday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
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A lawyer's role is to defend your rights before, during and after legal proceedings.
- Be careful to choose a good lawyer.
- Lawyers have fees that you will need to pay.
- If you have limited resources, you could be eligible for state financial assistance to pay these fees. This is called "aide juridictionnelle".
- If you have not had a lawyer recommended to you by a professional or a person you trust, you can look for one on this directory which lists all the lawyers in France. You can search by languages spoken and legal specialisation.
While the utmost care has gone into providing you with the most accurate and up to date information, this page is not intended to replace legal or professional advice. Laws and procedures change regularly so it is important to consult qualified professionals.
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