Divorce or separation

If you experience an acute threat of violence or are a victim of violence during the separation or divorce:

• Call the emergency number 112.
• Seek refuge with a close one or go to a shelter. You can find the contact details of your nearest shelter at the Nettiturvakoti (Online shelter)Opens in a new window..

Do this after an acute situation:

• If you have been a victim of violence, seek medical advice.
• Report the crime to the police.Opens in a new window.
• Seek advice from the Victim Support FinlandOpens in a new window..
• Apply for support in dealing with experiences related to violence from the social welfare service at your place of residence or NollalinjaOpens in a new window.. 

You can get help from

• your wellbeing services county's and Church couples therapy
• partnership services by associations and organisations
• private psychotherapists
• mediation of family matters offered by a your wellbeing services county or organisations.

Find out more:

• Apuaeroon.fi Opens in a new window.
• Hyväksymys.fiOpens in a new window.

Enquire about your locality's peer support groups

• from your wellbeing services county health care services
• from your wellbeing services county's social welfare services 
• from organisations
• from parishes.

If you feel that the divorce or separation is too hard for you to cope with and you cannot manage your daily life, contact your local health and social services centre or your occupational health provider.

Tell your child about the divorce or separation only after you have made the final decision on the divorce or separation.

Tell the child at least

• that the divorce is not the child's fault, but an issue between the adults
• what changes in their life and what remains the same
• that the child’s thoughts and opinions are important and will be heard.

If your child has symptoms as a result of the divorce or separation, seek help from

• family counselling centre
• as a parent of a child under school age from a child health clinic
• in the case of schoolchildren, the school psychologist or school social worker
• peer support groups for children in  wellbeing services counties, parishes and organisations.

Once you have decided to divorce, you can apply for a divorce from the District Court of your domicile:

• You can apply for a divorce alone or together. 
• If you have not been living separately for at least two years, you must apply for divorce on the basis of a six-month reconsideration period.
• Send the divorce application (in Finnish) to the District Court of your domicile by means of Suomi.fi Messages.

• If you move house, you should submit a notification of change of address to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency and PostiOpens in a new window..
• If you receive subsidies, notify Kela immediately of the separationOpens in a new window..

When you separate, agree on your child’s 

• maintenance
• custody
• housing
• visiting rights.

You can follow these steps:

• Make an appointment with the wellbeing services county's child welfare officer. They will help you in the agreement process and in preparing the agreements.
• Complete the parenting plan (thl.fi) (in Finnish)Opens in a new window. before meeting with the child welfare officer.
• If you have disputes about agreeing on your children’s affairs, you can apply to family mediation in your wellbeing services county.
• If you are unable to reach agreement there, you should seek mediation in the District Court.

• When a married couple divorces, their property is summed up and divided in half. This process is called distribution of matrimonial property.
• If the couple has concluded a prenuptial agreement, the property is distributed as specified in the prenuptial agreement.

While spouses can make an agreement on the distribution of matrimonial property, it is advisable to get legal assistance for the process. Read more on page Agreement on arrangements.

• When you end cohabitation, both of you will keep your own property. 
• However, you must agree on the distribution of your shared property. 

 Read more on page Agreement on arrangements.

Remember to separate and reorganise shared

• bank accounts
• parallel cards to loyalty or credit cards
• e-invoicing agreements
• investments
• loans
• insurance policies and their beneficiaries.

Authorisations granted electronically may be cancelled in Suomi.fi e-AuthorizationsOpens in a new window..

If you want to change your last name back to a name that you previously had, you can do so in the name change service of the Digital and Population Data Services Agency.