Family law bill on joint custody to be tabled next week

A new legal landscape regarding divorced parents and their children will be created by the provisions of a government bill which will bring radical changes to Family Law for the first time since 1983.

The final text of the new bill was submitted to Parliament at the beginning of the week by Justice Minister Konstantinos Tsiaras and will be debated by the relevant House committees immediately after the Easter break with the aim of passing it into law in May.

Among the changes it brings is the provision that parental care for children whose parents have divorced will from now on be exercised jointly by both and will cover issues such as which school they will go to, what education they will have and health issues, among others.

According to the Justice Ministry, the provision for the joint exercise of parental responsibility aims to foster cooperation between parents to promote the interest of the children.