A 'trial divorce' service has been launched in East China's Jiangxi province to help young couples to solve marital crisis.
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"Trial divorce" means that when both husband and wife decide to divorce, they do not legally act, but just "separate" for a period of time.
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Several post-80s couples in eastern China's Jiangxi province have resorted to "trial divorce" before they officially end their marriages, Chinanews.com said.
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Tong Xin, a marriage guidance counselor, has launched such services in several regions of the province, including Jiujiang city and the capital Nanchang.
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"Many cases of divorce were driven by impulse," Tong said, "'trial divorce' gives the two sides a chance to calm down and reflect on their marriage."
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The "trial divorce" service requires husband and wife to sign an agreement that includes settlements on assets division and child custody.
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Then they begin to live under "simulated" divorce conditions during the period, which lasts three months to half a year.
China saw 3.5 million couples divorce in 2013, up 12.8 percent from the previous year, according to the country's Ministry of Civil Affairs.
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The divorce rate roughly stood at 0.26 percent, rising 0.03 percentage points year on year, ministry statistics indicate.Â