Want a divorce in Guangzhou? Step this way

The divorce appointment system in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, is being abused by couples who don't show up at the scheduled time, civil affairs authority in the city said.

Earlier, some local residents who sought divorce said they found the system for making advance divorce appointments was full in February, so they were unable to divorce this month.

"Actually, it is not exactly true that couples who have yet to make an  appointment cannot divorce this month," a staff member said.

Many couples who made appointments in the online system did not show up at the bureau, resulting in a waste of online appointment resources.

"Those who want to divorce can make appointments via phone and go directly to the counters for divorce if they are unable to make an appointment online," authorities said.

Officials and staff members in the divorce registration centers of civil affairs departments across the city have promised to handle all divorce cases for couples who come to the counters, the authorities said.

The bureau will further improve the online system and introduce measures in coming months to punish those who fail to keep their appointments, they said.

Currently, more than half the people who have made advance appointments break them.

In all of Guangdong province, a total of 192,785 couples have made online appointments in advance for divorces in 2020, but only 90,880 couples actually showed up to go through the procedure.