Top Reasons to Choose Dominican Republic for Quickie Divorce
They say divorce is like death, but unlike people who lost someone they loved, as a divorcee you won’t receive much support. It’s often a lengthy, tiring and costly process that ruins both divorcees financially, physically and mentally. And while their lives are being ruined – guess who laughs on their way to the bank – lawyers! If you live in the USA, Canada, UK, France, Australia or virtually any other western country, chances are good that if divorce is your only option, you’re looking for a long and exhausting struggle that will suck you dry on all fronts. Yet there is a way to take a shortcut and turn this pile of hassle into a quickie – get divorced in the Dominican Republic.
Had Quickie Marriage? Get Quickie Divorce, Photo: billjacobus1, Flickr
Dominican Republic is very foreigner friendly and divorces are no different. If both people agree to the terms of the divorce and just want to get it done and over with avoiding legal hassle of divorcing in their home country, taking care of business in the Dominican Republic could set them up with a quickie divorce that would ultimately end their marriage in as little as 15 days. No more private detectives to gather evidence of your spouse’s wrongdoing, no long, drawn out affairs – just sign a few documents before the Dominican Consulate nearest to your jurisdiction, have one of you attend a hearing in the Dominican Republic (no need for both parties to fly south) and your divorce decree will be dispatched to you by courier within 10 to 15 business days. Granted, things don’t move as fast and as reliably in the Dominican Republic so your quickie divorce papers could take a bit longer than that, however after simple paperwork has been taken care of, the rest is merely about waiting for your divorce decree to get delivered to you.
Dominican Republic Quickie Divorce Disclaimer (fine print)
It goes without saying that every country, every jurisdiction is different. Before considering a quickie divorce in the Dominican Republic, you should make sure such divorce would be recognized in the court of law in your home country (consult legal counsel in your jurisdiction to determine its legality). Some countries may restrict the power to grant a divorce to their citizens/residents to their local courts only.
As a general rule of thumb, a divorce obtained in a foreign country would be considered invalid by most jurisdiction, including most states of the USA. However under the legally recognized Estoppel principle, if both parties consented to the divorce, then its legality, even if obtained in a foreign country would be normally recognized.
It is furthermore important to recognize that this article is a guide, not a legal advice. All precautions were taken to ensure statement accuracy, they are however not a replacement for a lawyer. Dominican Republic Real Estate website makes no guarantees concerning the information contained herein and will not be responsible if you choose to follow it instead of consulting with a lawyer.
Let’s take a look at some of the top reasons to choose Dominican Republic for quickie divorce:
1 – Obtain a Divorce in Less Than 24 Hours
The 1971 amendment to the Dominican Republic’s divorce law (1306 Act) allows foreigners to obtain a divorce in the Dominican court of law in one day. Only one spouse is required to be physically present in the Dominican Republic for the proceeding to take place and could be on their way back home the following day (or even the same afternoon as the proceedings are usually finished by 10am). The other spouse can be represented by a lawyer with the power of attorney authenticated at the Dominican consulate abroad.
2 – No Dominican Residency Required
According to the same 1971 amendment to the divorce law, foreigners wishing to obtain a divorce in the court of the Dominican Republic do not need to live or reside in the Dominican Republic. As a matter of fact, you can get a quick divorce taken care of by the Dominican Republic’s court even if you’ve never been to the Dominican Republic before.
3 – It’s Discreet and Confidential
Aside from being the quickest divorces in the world, the quickie divorces from the Dominican Republic are also some of the most discreet and confidential in the world. The emotional burden of a divorce is big enough to also have to worry about it going with the bang. Taking your divorce to the Dominican Republic will help to keep the going-ons quiet, allowing you to move on with your life faster. The only shout out would occur in a local newspaper (in Spanish, only distributed in the Dominican Republic) in compliance with legal requirements.
4 – It’s Cheap
Most law firms specializing in the Dominican Republic Quickie Divorces charge between $1,500 and $2,000 in total fees. That includes all of the firm’s legal fees and all Dominican Republic’s court taxes. You may find different prices offered by different law firms, but in general you could have your divorce papers on their way in under $2k US. That’s a cheap divorce no matter which way you spin it. The following is a more detailed list of what is included in the fees:
- Court costs
- Taxes
- Two certified copies of the final decree of divorce
- Certifications by the Secretary of the Court, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Foreign Relations
- Authentication by the consul in Santo Domingo
- Notarised translations of documents you have provided into Spanish for the court
- Notarised translations of decrees into English for both of you
- $400 deposit to the Central Bank as required by Dominican Law
5 – It’s a No Fault Divorce
In order to proceed with your divorce in the Dominican Republic, you don’t have to allege bad conduct or adultery of your spouse. All you need is mutual consent. As such, there is no plaintiff and no defendant. All there is are two petitioning parties.
6 – Celebrities Use the Dominican Republic Quickie Divorce Too
The Dominican Republic quickie divorces are so effective, hassle free and inexpensive, even celebrities who found themselves in a failed marriage took advantage of them to get divorced. Some of the recognizable names who used the services of the Dominican divorce court system include:
- Mariah Carrey
- Lisa Marie Presley
- Diana Ross
- Marc Anthony
- Tommy Mottola
Word of Caution
The Divorce Law 142 of the Dominican Republic allows foreign citizens to file for a divorce by mutual consent even if they don’t live or reside in the Dominican Republic. The requirement however is that BOTH spouses must consent to the divorce. The consent must be authenticated before the Dominican authorities at the embassy/consulate in your jurisdiction. And finally, at least one of the spouses must attend the hearing before the Dominican judge. This hearing usually only takes 20 to 30 minutes but it is a requirement that at least one spouse physically attends.
Beware of Dominican Republic Quickie Divorce Scams. The requirements are clear and they are strict. It is impossible to get a divorce without due process pursuant Dominican Divorce Law 142. If somebody promises you a Dominican Quickie Divorce by mail, without travelling, you should be suspicious. Similarly, if somebody promises you that you will be able to get a divorce decree without your spouse’s knowledge or consent (Unilateral Divorce), you should again be very suspicious. One more common scam is to guarantee that the Dominican Divorce will be accepted worldwide, regardless of where you are from. Whether your jurisdiction accepts foreign divorces depends on that jurisdiction, not on a lawyer operating from out of the Dominican Republic or wherever else in the world.
Is the Dominican Republic Quickie Divorce For You?
If your marriage is falling apart and there’s no way to salvage it, you can save yourself from a lot of headache and financial drain by having a quickie divorce in the Dominican Republic. For a reasonably low nominal cost averaging $1,600 you could be a free man/woman and start over with a new partner (or as a single person for the time being, if you so incline). Divorce doesn’t have to be a pain in the neck as experienced by most people who went through it. Be smart, make it easy on yourself and if both of you agree with the divorce (and if it’s not illegal in your jurisdiction), then go for an easy way out – a quickie divorce in the Dominican Republic.
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