Family Law
Marriage, divorce, child custody, inheritance, and domestic violence protections under Kuwait personal status and family legislation.
Marriage Requirements and Registration
Kuwait law sets specific requirements for a valid marriage:Both parties must give free consent to the marriage — forced marriages are not legally recognised.The minimum marriage age is 15 for females...
Divorce Procedures
Kuwait recognises several forms of divorce under the Personal Status Law:Talaq (husband-initiated): A husband may divorce his wife by verbal or written declaration. He may revoke it during the iddah (...
Child Custody (Hadana)
After divorce, Kuwait law gives the mother priority in physical custody (hadana) of young children:Sunni law (majority): The mother has custody of boys until age puberty and girls until marriage. The...
Child Support and Maintenance
The father is legally responsible for financially supporting his children in Kuwait:The father must provide nafaqa (maintenance) covering food, housing, clothing, education, and medical care.Maintenan...
Inheritance Rights
Inheritance in Kuwait follows Islamic succession rules as codified in the Personal Status Law:Fixed shares are assigned to specific heirs — spouses, parents, children, and siblings receive Quran-presc...
Domestic Violence Protections
Kuwait's 2020 domestic violence law provides specific protections for victims of family abuse:Domestic violence includes physical, psychological, sexual, and financial abuse by a family member or hous...
Guardianship
Kuwait law distinguishes between physical custody (hadana) and legal guardianship (wilaya):The father is the natural legal guardian of his children. He makes decisions about education, medical treatme...
Nationality and Citizenship Rules
Kuwait's nationality law is one of the most restrictive in the world:Nationality is passed through the father only — children of a Kuwaiti mother and non-Kuwaiti father do not automatically receive ci...