Family Law
Divorce, custody, child support, marriage, cohabitation, and domestic violence protections under Danish family law — Familieretshuset and the courts.
Divorce (Skilsmisse)
Denmark has a relatively straightforward divorce process:Mutual agreement: If both spouses agree to divorce and have no disputes about custody, assets, or support, a divorce can be granted immediately...
Child Custody (Forældremyndighed)
Danish custody law prioritises the best interests of the child:Joint custody (fælles forældremyndighed): The default. Both parents share legal decision-making authority — even after divorce. Joint cus...
Child Support (Børnebidrag)
Both parents have a legal obligation to support their children financially:Normal contribution (normalbidrag): The non-resident parent pays a standard amount set annually by the government — approxima...
Division of Property on Divorce
Danish matrimonial property law follows a system of deferred community of property (formuefællesskab):Default regime: Each spouse owns and manages their own assets during the marriage, but on divorce,...
Spousal Maintenance (Ægtefællebidrag)
Spousal maintenance in Denmark is not automatic — it is awarded only in specific circumstances:Agreement: Spouses can agree on maintenance as part of their divorce settlement.Court/Familieretshuset or...
Domestic Violence Protections
Danish law provides criminal and civil protections against domestic violence:Criminal offence: Domestic violence is prosecuted under the general assault provisions of the Criminal Code — there is no s...
Cohabitation Rights (Papirløst Samliv)
Denmark does not have a comprehensive cohabitation law — unmarried partners (papirløst samliv) have far fewer automatic rights than married couples:No automatic property sharing: Each partner owns wha...
Name Change
Denmark's Name Act governs first names, middle names, and surnames:Free choice of surname on marriage: Either spouse can take the other's surname, keep their own, or use a hyphenated combination.Gener...