Divorce in France: Moroccan law applicable, no dowry or consolation gift

Divorce in Carpentras: Moroccan law applied, but no dowry or mut'a for the wife

On 25 September 2026, the family affairs judge in Carpentras, in the Vaucluse, granted a divorce on grounds of discord to a couple who had married in Morocco in 2019. The wife was born in 1988 and her husband in 1982, and both are of Moroccan origin. She was represented by a lawyer. He did not have a lawyer.

The court declared itself competent and applied Moroccan law to rule on the dissolution of the marriage. Parental authority and maintenance obligations, however, were subject to French law, as the judgment specifies. The divorce takes effect between the parties as of 25 September 2026.

The wife had claimed, among other things, a dowry and a consolation payment, the "mout'a", a financial compensation provided for under Moroccan family law in certain divorce proceedings. The court declared both claims inadmissible. It also dismissed the wife's application for a compensatory allowance, and she was ordered to bear the costs of the proceedings.

Regarding the child, the judge awarded sole parental authority to the mother. The father must pay maintenance of 300 euros per month, payable before the 10th of each month and reviewed annually.

Several details remain unknown. The reasons for the financial decisions are redacted in the public version of the judgment, and the amounts the wife claimed for the dowry and the mout'a do not appear in it.

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