A Chinese court made history last Valentine’s Day after it approved divorce settlements between a couple in just twenty minutes.
The legal proceedings were observed on Wechat.
Media reports applauded this fast and easy way of ending an already broken relationship in a country with one of the highest divorce rates. Courts are now permitted to facilitate instant breakups between married couples contrary to a previously cumbersome procedure thanks the popular messaging app.
The recent court trial was held at Fuquan No 4 People’s Court through Weixin (Wechat) and was completed in just 20 minutes to legalize a divorce agreement between a long-separated couple.
It was the first of its kind in Qiannan, Guizhou province, a location in southwest China.
Local media reports confirm the couple are from Fuquan city. Having stayed married since 1989, they suffered hardship in the early years of their union but tried making it work against all odds. The financial constraint forced them to relocate to different provinces in search of greener pastures.
However, the wild goose chase at separate locations lasted for seven years, resulting in a broken relationship.
The heartbroken couple decided to call it quits after one of them filed for divorce on 8 February, 2017.
A statement from the divorce appeal court in Tianjin, about 2,000 kilometers from where the other partner lives, confirms that no objections were raised.
The case was settled by a judge on Wechat within 20 minutes, and a divorce agreement was concluded the following day.
