Dubai: As more Kuwaiti families fracture under the weight of outdated legal frameworks, calls are mounting for urgent reform of the country’s Personal Status Law.
With divorce rates reaching unprecedented levels, 84,442 cases recorded last year alone an average of 231 divorces per day — lawyers and human rights advocates warn that the current system is failing families, deepening social divides, and undermining women’s rights.
Legal professionals are urging the government to prioritise amendments to key provisions related to alimony and child visitation.
Among their top demands is the reinstatement of court-supervised visitation arrangements and stricter penalties for parents who fail to comply with rulings.
Others have pushed for raising the legal marriage age to 18 for both men and women, arguing that early marriages deprive young people —especially girls — of education, autonomy, and the opportunity to choose a suitable partner.
Attorney Fawaz Al Shallahi welcomed the Ministry of Justice’s ongoing efforts to modernise the law, describing them as long overdue. He emphasised the need for a revised legal framework that introduces tighter restrictions on divorce procedures and strengthens protections for children post-separation. “This is not just a legal reform — it’s a social necessity,” he said.
Al Shallahi also highlighted the need to address gaps in enforcement, particularly in child visitation rights. “Flexibility is important, but enforcement is essential. Without meaningful penalties, the law risks becoming ineffective.”
### Alimony demands
Other advocates have raised concerns about what they describe as disproportionate alimony demands. Hamdan Al Namshan, a lawyer and legal advisor to the National Human Rights Office, argued that some alimony settlements are so high that they deter divorced women from remarrying and place heavy financial burdens on men. “When child support becomes exaggerated, it undermines the institution of marriage altogether,” he said.
Al Namshan added that some women, especially working women, may be incentivised to pursue divorce to gain access to alimony and child support, a dynamic that he believes distorts the law’s original intent. “Alimony should be a right for children,” he said, “but it should also be reasonable.”
Both Al Namshan and Al Shallahi expressed support for raising the marriage age to 18, a move they say would better align Kuwait’s laws with international human rights standards, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
“Marriage at a young age not only robs girls of their education and agency, but increases their exposure to domestic violence and long-term hardship,” Al Namshan said.
Attorney Dr. Salem Al Kandari called for greater oversight in child visitation enforcement and for an end to ad hoc arrangements that leave too much room for disputes.
“The courts should remain the central authority in all family-related matters,” he said, adding that early marriage contributes to instability and exposes minors to marital problems they are ill-equipped to handle.
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