Law of persons and family law

Exercising joint parental authority "I have a child over whom I have joint custody and parental authority. However, his father requires me to ask for his consent for any activity our son undertakes, whether it's moving within a 2 km radius or simply allowing him to spend the night at a friend's house! According to...

Helping the elderly " I'm only working part-time at the moment and I spend a lot of my free time helping my mother, who is elderly and needs help on a daily basis... I'm wondering if I'm entitled to be paid by my mother for the help I provide her...

Adopting a child "I'm 30 years old, I've been living with my boyfriend for 10 years and we'd like to adopt a child. What are the requirements? Corinne, Geneva The law states that a child can be adopted if the future adoptive parents have provided care and education for at least...

Until when do we have to pay alimony? "Are men obliged to continue paying maintenance to our ex-wife if she is cohabiting with another man and has no dependent children? Do I have any chance of getting this payment cancelled?" Jean-Claude, Carouge Under article 130 of the Civil Code (CC), the obligation...

I want a divorce, my husband doesn't want it " I want to start divorce proceedings, but my husband refuses. What are my rights and the consequences of his refusal? Can I still start proceedings despite my husband's refusal? I have also asked my husband to leave the house...

Harassment and an electronic bracelet Since we split up last year, my ex has been calling me all the time, even at night, sending me often threatening text messages and emails, coming to my front door and following me in the street. I've already lodged a complaint, but despite a criminal conviction, he's still at it! A...

Civil status: why do we say "divorced" and not "single"? "There's a question that's been bothering me for a long time. Why, when you're single, do you become "married", then "divorced" and not "single" again? And yet, a divorced or widowed person who remarries becomes "married" again, and not "single"...

Divorcing my American wife If we finally came to an agreement, what would we have to do to simplify the procedure?" C. Geneva You do not have a common foreign nationality, so Swiss law is applicable to the action you have filed. Our Civil Code states that a spouse may file for divorce unilaterally...

Divorce: is my application admissible here? I got married 6 years ago in Geneva and now I want a divorce. I am Spanish and my wife is German. Since our marriage we have lived in Geneva. However, I have learnt that my wife is planning to move to...