FRANK Legal & Tax
Free consultation · 15 min
BangkokEnglish · Thai · German
International boutique law firm in Bangkok and Phuket, providing legal and tax services to investors, businesses, and private clients across Thailand
฿7,000–12,000 / hour
Divorce Lawyers in Thailand.
Legal support for contested and uncontested divorce, separation terms, and settlement negotiation.
5 firms on Justenda.
GPS Legal
Consultation from ฿3,125 · 30 min
BangkokEnglish · Thai · Swedish
Bangkok-based law firm delivering strategic, business-focused legal advice with deep local expertise and a practical, solutions-oriented approach.
฿3,500–15,000 / hour
MSC International Law Office
Free consultation · 30 min
BangkokEnglish · Thai · Chinese (Mandarin) · Cantonese · Russian · German
International Legal and Cross-Border Business Advisory in Thailand and Asia
FRANK Legal & Tax
Free consultation · 15 min
BangkokEnglish · Thai · German
International boutique law firm in Bangkok and Phuket, providing legal and tax services to investors, businesses, and private clients across Thailand
฿7,000–12,000 / hour
GPS Legal
Consultation from ฿3,125 · 30 min
BangkokEnglish · Thai · Swedish
Bangkok-based law firm delivering strategic, business-focused legal advice with deep local expertise and a practical, solutions-oriented approach.
฿3,500–15,000 / hour
MSC International Law Office
Free consultation · 30 min
BangkokEnglish · Thai · Chinese (Mandarin) · Cantonese · Russian · German
International Legal and Cross-Border Business Advisory in Thailand and Asia
Blumenthal Richter Sumet & Schuler
Free consultation · 1 hr
BangkokChinese (Mandarin) · English · German · Thai · Japanese
Blumenthal Richter Sumet & Schuler is a leading law firm in Bangkok, Thailand. We provide legal services in all practice areas.
Bangkok
Experts assisting clients in conducting their businesses and protecting their rights and investments in Thailand across a wide range of legal matters.
Related areas
Issues that come up in a Thai divorce
A divorce rarely travels alone. These are the matters that most often sit alongside it, each handled by a lawyer who works in that area.
Child custody
Parental power, parenting plans, and relocation after a split.
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Child support
Maintenance amounts, court orders, variation, and enforcement.
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Dividing property
Splitting a home, condo, or land held during the marriage.
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Marriage and prenups
How a prenuptial agreement shapes the property split.
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Domestic violence
Protection orders and urgent applications during a split.
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Marriage visas
How a divorce affects a marriage-based visa or extension.
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Wills and estates
Updating a Thai will and beneficiaries after a divorce.
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Family law
The wider picture: marriage, children, and succession.
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Working with a divorce lawyer in Thailand
A plain guide to how divorce works in Thailand: the two routes to ending a marriage, how property and children are handled, what changes for foreign couples, and what to expect on cost and time.
The two ways to divorce in Thailand
Uncontested (administrative) divorce. When both spouses agree on every term, they register the divorce at the district office (Amphoe) where the marriage is recorded. It is fast, often done the same day, and inexpensive. A divorce lawyer is useful mainly to draft a clean agreement on property, custody, and support so nothing is left vague or unenforceable later.
Contested divorce. When the spouses do not agree, one files a petition in the Juvenile and Family Court on a statutory ground. These courts, run by the Courts of Justice, emphasise reconciliation and the welfare of any children, and court-annexed mediation settles a large share of cases before trial.
One catch matters for foreign couples: the administrative route is generally open only where the marriage was registered in Thailand. Couples who married abroad usually need a court divorce, either here or in the country where they married.
Grounds for a contested divorce
A contested divorce has to rest on one of the grounds in Section 1516 of the Civil and Commercial Code. The spouse who files has to prove it. The grounds include adultery or keeping another person as a spouse, serious misconduct, physical or mental harm or serious insult, desertion for more than one year, around three years of voluntary separation, failure to maintain the other spouse, imprisonment, and incurable insanity of at least three years, among others.
Because the grounds turn on evidence, a divorce lawyer's early job is often to gather and preserve it: messages, financial records, and witness accounts. Where both spouses want out but cannot agree on terms, many cases settle through mediation once the financial picture is clear, which is faster and cheaper than a full trial.
Dividing marital property
Thai law sorts a couple's property into two pots. Sin Somros is the marital property built up during the marriage, and it is divided equally on divorce. Sin Suan Tua is the personal property each spouse owned beforehand, plus most gifts and inheritance, and each keeps their own. Debts taken on for the family are shared.
A valid prenuptial agreement can change the default split, but only if it was registered with the marriageat the time it was entered, under Section 1466 of the Code. Where one spouse is foreign, a home or land held in the Thai spouse's name or through a company needs careful handling, because a foreigner cannot own land directly; a property lawyer often works alongside the divorce side on that piece.
In limited cases the court can order one spouse to pay the other a living allowance, for instance where the divorce is granted on a ground that leaves one spouse at fault and the other in hardship. It is not automatic.
Children: custody and support
Custody in Thai law is called parental power. On divorce, the parents either agree how it is held or the court decides, always on the best interests of the child. A clear parenting plan, agreed and recorded, heads off most later fights over custody and contact.
Both parents owe a duty to support their children. The court can set and enforce a child supportamount, and it can be varied when incomes or needs change. For a child born outside the marriage, the father's rights usually depend on having legitimated the child first.
Divorce for foreign couples and cross-border cases
Mixed-nationality and cross-border divorces add steps. Whether a Thai divorce is recognised in your home country depends on that country's rules, so a Thai divorce certificate or court order usually needs translation and legalisation through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and sometimes a further step abroad. Many couples use a Thai lawyer for the local process and a home-country lawyer to confirm recognition there.
A divorce can also end the basis of a marriage visa or annual extension, so the immigration side often runs in parallel. Where one parent removes a child across a border, Thailand is a party to the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, in force since 2013, and applications run through the Central Juvenile and Family Court.
Costs, timeline, and what to send before the call
An uncontested, administrative divorce is often a modest flat fee and can be registered the same day once the terms are agreed. A contested divorce, a custody dispute, or a cross-border matter is usually billed hourly; reported rates at small and mid-size Thai firms run from about 2,500 to 7,500 THB an hour, higher at large Bangkok firms. A contested case at the Court of First Instance often runs several months to more than a year, with court filing fees and certified translations billed on top.
Bring the marriage certificate, IDs and passports, any prenuptial agreement, the children's details, an honest picture of income and assets, and any foreign court orders. A clear brief sharpens the fee estimate, because the firm can see the scope rather than guess at it. When a matter also pulls in property, immigration, or a will, the wider directory of Thai law firms covers those areas alongside the divorce.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about divorce lawyers and attorneys in Thailand
Plain answers to the questions people send us most about divorce in Thailand: the two routes, the legal grounds, property and children, cross-border cases, and cost.
What are the two ways to get divorced in Thailand?
An uncontested (administrative) divorce is registered at the district office (Amphoe) when both spouses agree on every term; it is fast and inexpensive. A contested divorce is a petition to the Juvenile and Family Court on one of the statutory grounds in Section 1516 of the Civil and Commercial Code, used when the spouses cannot agree. The court can then decide property division, custody, and support in the same case.
We married abroad. Can we still divorce in Thailand?
Often through the court, yes, where there is a real connection to Thailand. The administrative divorce at the district office is generally available only where the marriage was registered in Thailand, so couples who married abroad usually need a court divorce, either in Thailand or in the country where they married. A divorce lawyer can confirm which route is open on your facts before you start.
What are the legal grounds for a contested divorce in Thailand?
Section 1516 of the Civil and Commercial Code sets them out. They include adultery or keeping another person as a spouse, serious misconduct, physical or mental harm, desertion for more than one year, around three years of voluntary separation, failure to maintain the other spouse, imprisonment, and incurable insanity of at least three years, among others. The spouse who files has to prove the ground to the court.
How is property divided in a Thai divorce?
Thai law splits property into Sin Somros (marital property acquired during the marriage), which is divided equally, and Sin Suan Tua (personal property owned before the marriage, plus most gifts and inheritance), which each spouse keeps. A valid prenuptial agreement can change this. Where a foreign spouse is involved, land held in a Thai spouse's name or through a company needs careful handling, because a foreigner cannot own land directly.
Who gets custody of the children, and how is child support decided?
Custody (parental power) is set by agreement between the parents or by the Juvenile and Family Court, always on the best interests of the child. Both parents owe a duty to support their children; the court can set a child support amount and enforce it, and the figure can be varied if circumstances change. A clear parenting plan, agreed and recorded, prevents most later disputes.
Will a Thai divorce be recognised in my home country?
It usually can be, but it depends on your home country's rules, not Thailand's. A Thai divorce certificate or court order generally needs translation and legalisation through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and sometimes a further step in the other country. Many cross-border divorces use a Thai lawyer for the local process and a home-country lawyer to confirm recognition there.
Does getting divorced affect my Thai visa?
It can. A visa or annual extension based on marriage to a Thai national ends when the marriage does, so the immigration side often has to be sorted out alongside the divorce. An immigration lawyer can look at whether another category fits, such as retirement or a Long-Term Resident visa, before the marriage extension lapses.
How much does a divorce lawyer in Thailand cost, and how long does it take?
An uncontested, administrative divorce is often a modest flat fee and can be registered the same day once the terms are agreed. A contested divorce is usually billed hourly; reported rates at small and mid-size Thai firms run from about 2,500 to 7,500 THB an hour, higher at large Bangkok firms. A contested case at the Court of First Instance often runs several months to more than a year, with court fees and certified translations billed on top.
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Find a divorce lawyer by city in Thailand
Browse divorce lawyers in Thailand by the city where you live or where the case will be heard.
