Lawyer Dave Lawrence Gives a Legal Perspective on Divorce in Thailand [S7.E28]

Greg and Ed interview Dave Lawrence of Pegleg Legal about the
technicalities of divorce in Thailand. Although Ed previously
discussed his big 'D' on an earlier show, his situation was so
simple that it's probably not representative of the typical
divorce. Dave begins with his process for new clients. First, he
asks if the marriage was registered in Thailand. Many 'couples'
actually never get legally married in Thailand, which of course
changes your legal rights. Second, he asks if the couple has any
children. As one would expect, kids tend to significantly
complicate matters. However, Dave makes clear if a couple is not
legally married, then the mother automatically becomes the sole
custodian of the child, and the biological father has no
automatic rights. 


Next, Ed asks Dave about 'common law' marriage, the idea that a
couple can be deemed legally married just by living together for
a certain number of years, but it turns out that concept doesn't
exist under Thai law. If it ain't on paper, it ain't real, at
least in Thailand. The guys continue peppering Dave with various
marriage and divorce scenarios, including what property is
considered 'marital property' subject to division and how child
custody is handled by biological fathers who have a properly
registered marriage. 


The topic isn't exactly rosy, but the big 'D' is something that
we are all better off knowing something about. 


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