Please note: This page is an English translation of information originally written for clients in Bulgaria. If you are a foreign citizen or live abroad, additional considerations may apply to your case, such as signing documents from abroad, granting a power of attorney, travelling to Bulgaria or complying with specific legal requirements and deadlines. Feel free to contact me to discuss your situation and find out what applies to you.

“I want a divorce! I can’t go on like this, it’s getting worse and worse. What will happen to the child? My husband said that if I take the child from him, he will kill me…” This is another real case from my practice as a divorce lawyer in Plovdiv and Sofia. A lot has been written about divorce, and divorce cases are a mass practice. According to statistics of the National Statistical Institute, in 2025 there were 20,594 marriages and 8,298 registered divorces in Bulgaria.

What is divorce?

What I will always remember from my student years is one of the definitions of divorce: “Divorce is a permissible evil to avoid another, greater evil – the existence of hopelessly broken marriages that are useless and harmful to the spouses, the children and society.”

Divorce lawyer in Plovdiv: types of divorce

There are two types of divorce – by mutual consent and contested (by claim). In a divorce by mutual consent, the parties sign an agreement in which they settle their relations after the end of the marriage. In other words, they themselves decide the consequences of the divorce – where the children will live, the former spouses’ relations with them, the division of property and maintenance.

In a contested divorce, this is not the case. Here it is the court that decides the post-marital fate not only of the spouses, but also of their children. This happens when relations between the spouses have deteriorated badly and any communication between them is impossible. I have written more about the two types of divorce in Divorce lawyer – types of divorce (in Bulgarian), and about how fault is proved in Divorce due to the spouse’s fault – how is it proved? (in Bulgarian).

The children – a central topic in divorce cases

The mother and the father are equal in their parental rights and obligations, as well as in exercising them. Equality becomes problematic when the marriage ends, precisely because the parents no longer share a life. Divorce does not affect who holds parental rights, but how they are exercised.

Practice shows that children are drawn into the parental conflicts that are very common in divorce. More in Divorce and the child’s psyche (in Bulgarian).

I’m not allowed to see my child. What should I do?

If the court has already set contact arrangements, you can ask for them to be enforced. If no arrangements have been set, you file an application with the court. When one parent systematically prevents contact with the child, this may be grounds for the court to reconsider with whom the child lives, as well as for criminal proceedings to be brought.

Property, the home, maintenance

The hardest disputes are rarely about the divorce itself. They are about who stays in the home and how shared things and loans are divided. You can read more on the topic in Division of property after divorce (in Bulgarian).

How is property divided in a divorce?

What you acquired together during the marriage is, as a rule, divided in half. The court may give a larger share to the spouse who made a significantly greater contribution, or to the one with whom the children stay, if the division would make things especially difficult for them.

How is child maintenance determined?

According to the needs of the child and the means of the parent who owes it. The law also sets a minimum: one quarter of the minimum wage for each child.

Shared parenting

Shared parenting received new regulation with the latest amendments to the Family Code of 30.12.2025. Most importantly, the court may, at its discretion, order shared parenting. The text of the law reads: “…the court may order joint exercise of parental rights and obligations…”. This is possible even when one parent does not agree with shared parenting – it is enough that both parents want parental rights and that this is in the best interest of the child. More in Shared parenting – the end of the “Sunday dad”? (in Bulgarian).

Frequently asked questions

How long does a divorce by mutual consent take?

Usually the case ends in one hearing, at which the court approves the agreement. When the hearing is scheduled depends on the workload of the court.

Do I have to appear in person at the case?

Yes. In a divorce by mutual consent, both spouses must appear in person at the court hearing. In contested divorce cases, the claimant must appear in person at the first hearing.

My spouse doesn’t want a divorce. Can I divorce without their consent?

Yes. You file a claim. The consent of the other spouse is not required.

I want shared parenting, but my wife doesn’t. Is it possible without her consent?

Yes, after the amendments to the Family Code of 30.12.2025. The court may order joint exercise of parental rights if both parents want these rights to be granted to them and this is in the best interest of the child.

Before you file an application, talk to a divorce lawyer in Plovdiv. A well-prepared agreement saves years of disputes after the divorce.