Family and Laws in Russia and China

Both in the PCR and Russia, entering into a marriage is considered a voluntary decision by a man and a woman. In that respect, there are no differences between the countries, except for the minimum marriage age. In Russia, people can get married after turning 18, or 16 if they have a respectable reason to do so earlier. In China, things are a lot stricter: according to article 1047 of the Civil Code of the PCR, females are able to get married after reaching the age of 20, while for men it’s 22.

Perhaps one of the most important rights that every person has is the right to bear a child. Based on their own individual views toward life, principles, and financial status, each person is able to choose the suitable time to bring children into their lives and determine how many of them they would like. Any pressure from the law takes that right away, and that's where the greatest difference lies in family law in Russia versus in the PRC.

The law in the Russian Federation doesn't in any way restrict how many children couples can have. On the contrary, they help foster this by using payments and subsidies. The government in Russia has always proclaimed raising the birth rate to be one of the highest priority focuses in the country's politics.

In China, by contrast, from 1979 to 2015, the One Child Family policy was conducted in China, which seriously shook the foundation of the institution of family in the country. During that period, spouses weren't able to have more than one child while any violation of that rule was punished by a fine equivalent to six years of household income.

This policy was enacted by the government as a means of combatting overpopulation. Only in 2016 did the country's citizens finally gain the right to have two children. 

In both countries, children are legally obliged to provide for parents in need who are unable to work (article 1067 of the Civil Code of the PRC and 87 of the Family Code of the Russian Federation).

In China, in the case of divorces, custody of most children is given to their fathers. In Russia, the opposite trend is taking place, as children most often remain with their mothers, since it’s assumed that children cannot be properly nurtured without female care.

If you've encountered a situation in which your marriage is on the verge of collapse, allow us to be your dependable partner on the path to the new chapter of your life. Our experienced lawyers specialize in family law and are ready to offer you professional assistance and support in filing for divorce, dividing up property, and determining child custody as well as child handling support payments.

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