# Divorce



## AntoniaGoldilocks

Hi all,

I hope you can help me. I am married to an Egyptian man but am very unhappy and would like to get a divorce. I am Swiss and we have no children which should hopefully make the divorce a little easier. Unfortunately when I married I did not ask at all about divorce proceedings. 

I would really appreciate your advice as to what I need to do and how difficult it will be!


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## SHendra

AntoniaGoldilocks said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I hope you can help me. I am married to an Egyptian man but am very unhappy and would like to get a divorce. I am Swiss and we have no children which should hopefully make the divorce a little easier. Unfortunately when I married I did not ask at all about divorce proceedings.
> 
> I would really appreciate your advice as to what I need to do and how difficult it will be!


Hi Antonia, Don't think any of us think about divorce when we marry  

Far as divorce goes in Egypt it depends on the kind of marriage you have. I was married to an Egyptian and we had an offical marriage and our papers were with passport photos of each of us plus our fingerprints. Was also done it at the courts(a office) where several copies of the marriage had to be hand written by the witnesses and I had to have a translator to translate questions asked to me by the officals and also to know what I was saying when I had to do the arabic stuff with the Iman. Is this the type of marriage you have?

IF so does your husband know of you wanting to divorce? And if so is he in agreeance with it? If he is it maybe a lot easier for you to ask him to divorce YOU. It would be quicker and a lot more straight forward. Remember Egypt a very male dominated country including when it comes to divorce. If you want to divorce him the procedings alot harder and can take longer you would need someone to help you get on the ball of it. In my case I encouraged my ex husband to divorce me .. well okay I kinda pointed out it would be a little embarrasing for a woman to divorce him especially a foreign one at that.. I also agreed to wave all my rights I had over him once divorced (the money bit!). But it got me the result I needed which was divorced and once he agreed to divorced me it took less than a week! IT was done by the exact same people who married me in the court offices. Can remember a woman working there a clerk pretty much looking at me saying 'I knew it' as when I married she kept getting things translated to me of 'are you sure?' lol

If the marriage above not the kind you have the chances are then you just have an orfi one.. if no lawyer was involved it just a tear up the paper. If there was one involved I'd say go get yourself advice from a lawyer. 

In fact in whatever the case it maybe best you do that. If you ask your embassy they may have a list of lawyers you can trust.. you could then just go see one to find out whats what more so. But in whatever the case maybe it going to be easier to make him divorce you, especially since you've no children in it so you not really risking anything there!


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## Whitedesert

AntoniaGoldilocks said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I hope you can help me. I am married to an Egyptian man but am very unhappy and would like to get a divorce. I am Swiss and we have no children which should hopefully make the divorce a little easier. Unfortunately when I married I did not ask at all about divorce proceedings.
> 
> I would really appreciate your advice as to what I need to do and how difficult it will be!


 Maybe I am a bit silly, but there are no kids, right? So, why not just get on a plane and hasta la vista baby? Why do you need to know anything about divorce in Egypt?, unless of cause you need to remain here...that would be a bummer.


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## hurghadapat

Whitedesert said:


> Maybe I am a bit silly, but there are no kids, right? So, why not just get on a plane and hasta la vista baby? Why do you need to know anything about divorce in Egypt?, unless of cause you need to remain here...that would be a bummer.


Well there might just be a chance that she would marry again and doesn't want to become a bigamist


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## Whitedesert

hurghadapat said:


> Well there might just be a chance that she would marry again and doesn't want to become a bigamist


 do like the local guys do to there wifes. Send him a letter (or sms) saying - hi there, this notice is to advise you I am divorcing you forthwith. Hope you have a horrible life, cheers for now, I am outta here.


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## AntoniaGoldilocks

SHendra said:


> Hi Antonia, Don't think any of us think about divorce when we marry
> 
> Far as divorce goes in Egypt it depends on the kind of marriage you have. I was married to an Egyptian and we had an offical marriage and our papers were with passport photos of each of us plus our fingerprints. Was also done it at the courts(a office) where several copies of the marriage had to be hand written by the witnesses and I had to have a translator to translate questions asked to me by the officals and also to know what I was saying when I had to do the arabic stuff with the Iman. Is this the type of marriage you have?
> 
> IF so does your husband know of you wanting to divorce? And if so is he in agreeance with it? If he is it maybe a lot easier for you to ask him to divorce YOU. It would be quicker and a lot more straight forward. Remember Egypt a very male dominated country including when it comes to divorce. If you want to divorce him the procedings alot harder and can take longer you would need someone to help you get on the ball of it. In my case I encouraged my ex husband to divorce me .. well okay I kinda pointed out it would be a little embarrasing for a woman to divorce him especially a foreign one at that.. I also agreed to wave all my rights I had over him once divorced (the money bit!). But it got me the result I needed which was divorced and once he agreed to divorced me it took less than a week! IT was done by the exact same people who married me in the court offices. Can remember a woman working there a clerk pretty much looking at me saying 'I knew it' as when I married she kept getting things translated to me of 'are you sure?' lol
> 
> If the marriage above not the kind you have the chances are then you just have an orfi one.. if no lawyer was involved it just a tear up the paper. If there was one involved I'd say go get yourself advice from a lawyer.
> 
> In fact in whatever the case it maybe best you do that. If you ask your embassy they may have a list of lawyers you can trust.. you could then just go see one to find out whats what more so. But in whatever the case maybe it going to be easier to make him divorce you, especially since you've no children in it so you not really risking anything there!


Hi,

I didn't have the ceremony with the Iman but I had the official marriage with fingerprints, questions etc. 

The problem is that he does not want to get divorced and I would like to stay in Egypt afterwards so running back home is not really an option. Plus I have heard that he could theoretically ask the Embassy to send me back to him. So I need to know what I would need to do and how difficult it is to get a divorce when your husband doesn't want one.


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## Whitedesert

AntoniaGoldilocks said:


> Hi,
> 
> I didn't have the ceremony with the Iman but I had the official marriage with fingerprints, questions etc.
> 
> The problem is that he does not want to get divorced and I would like to stay in Egypt afterwards so running back home is not really an option. Plus I have heard that he could theoretically ask the Embassy to send me back to him. So I need to know what I would need to do and how difficult it is to get a divorce when your husband doesn't want one.


 I cannot comment on the latter, but I can on the first. If you did go back home there is no way in hell that he could get you back to Egypt without your express permission. No non-Muslim country would expatriate you back against your will. That is certain. My guess is that you will need to get an attorney to advise you.


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## SHendra

AntoniaGoldilocks said:


> Hi,
> 
> I didn't have the ceremony with the Iman but I had the official marriage with fingerprints, questions etc.
> 
> The problem is that he does not want to get divorced and I would like to stay in Egypt afterwards so running back home is not really an option. Plus I have heard that he could theoretically ask the Embassy to send me back to him. So I need to know what I would need to do and how difficult it is to get a divorce when your husband doesn't want one.


Where on earth did you hear you would get thrown back to some angry man in Egypt if you flew out? I agree with Whitedesert here no way would that happen especially from a European country! 

I didn't have a ceremony either but in order for my marriage to be valid I had to say Arabic words with a iman there. Bit like a oath thing in a UK court etc. That's all. 

Like I said before your best to get to a lawyer to find out exactly how it goes we can only give you a gist and I can only tell you from my own experience but that was a man divorcing me! Even if it just to go to the lawyer one time a one off appointment with a notepad in hand to get the 'how to' idea I think it be worth while. But the divorce most certain will happen in the same place you married!


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## expatagogo

Get an attorney and file for a divorce. It's that simple. Nobody can force you to stay married, just as nobody can force you to go back to him. If you were Egyptian, sure, he could pull that "she ran away" garbage, but you're not so it does not apply to you.

My suggestion (because this is what worked for me and my reluctant ex-husband) is to sue him for everything - his home, the contents, more money than you know he has, whatever you can think of - then settle for his signature, because that's what you really want.

The entire thing, with an attorney, should not cost more than 1,000 LE. If a lawyer wants more than that, move along and find one who will do it for that.

Then, if you registered your marriage with your Embassy, make sure you notify them of your divorce.


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## AntoniaGoldilocks

Thank you everyone for your advice! It's much appreciated. I will contact the embassy.


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## Githa

Hi AntoniaGoldilocks
life's too short for a crappy husband - all the best of luck


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