Travelling around the world will open your eyes to just how varied our planet is. From cultures to religions and beliefs – there are differences in almost every aspect.
Family law is not an exception from this level of variation, so navigating issues where there are multiple jurisdictions to consider can be challenging.
Understanding family law
Family law is a broad term that encompasses things like marriage, divorce, child custody and inheritance issues – basically, any legal issue that involves a family aspect between birth and death.
A good family lawyer will be able to navigate complex legal issues such as child custody, asset division and pre-nuptial agreements whilst keeping your and your family’s best interests at heart.
Cultural and regional variations
Family law does vary from country to country in a number of ways. The legal age for marriage, for example, is 18 in the UK without parental consent. Across the planet in Equatorial Guinea, it is 12. Both of these are written into the laws of the respective countries but reflect the beliefs of their societies.
Inheritance practices can be complex regardless of cultural norms. Some countries do not recognise female descendants as able to inherit land or wealth, instead opting for males to inherit everything. This tradition is regardless of whether a male heir is born first. Although this is uncommon in modern society, there are some countries that still hold on to that way of settling estates after a death.
The ease of getting divorced also varies between countries. The UK has recently passed a law to make divorce easier in the form of no-fault divorces. Previously, there would have to be blame placed on one party which caused resentment and arguing. Now a divorce can be filed with a statement of irretrievable breakdown.
Factors influencing variations
Historically, the laws and practices of a country have been based on religious beliefs and some of that is still apparent in laws across the world.
Thailand, for example, has integrated Buddhist beliefs into its legal system since the 1930s which has resulted in a unique set of laws that govern the Thai people. Though the fundamentals are similar to most across the globe, there are smaller laws that are based on the norms of Thai society. One example of this is only flying the Thai flag whilst you are in the country. To display a flag of your homeland is seen as disrespectful and could land you with a fine or prison sentence.
Sharia Law makes up part of Islam with Muslims following it as an ethical code, rather than a legal one. However, there are some countries that have combined Sharia Law with country law such as Saudi Arabia. The UK has Sharia Councils which make decisions based on Islamic teachings, but they do not replace or overrule the UK laws and court system.
Comments are closed.