Family law is a sensitive field that involves not only legal but also intensely emotional processes. For this reason we approach our clients with both legal expertise and empathetic communication, developing balanced strategies that take into account the long-term consequences of decisions.
Scope of Our Service
Bilkay Legal provides representation across every area of family law, including uncontested and contested divorce, custody and the establishment of personal relationships, alimony, liquidation of the matrimonial property regime, adoption, domestic violence and protection orders under Law No. 6284. Confidentiality and care are paramount throughout all our processes.
Our Principal Practice Areas
- Uncontested divorce actions
- Contested divorce actions
- Custody and the establishment of personal relationships
- Alimony (interim, poverty, participation, support)
- Liquidation of the matrimonial property regime and participation claims
- Pecuniary and non-pecuniary compensation claims
- Protection orders under Law No. 6284
- Recognition and enforcement of foreign court judgments
- Adoption processes
- Parentage, paternity and lineage actions
- Marriage permission and annulment of marriage
- Guardianship and curatorship proceedings
Uncontested and Contested Divorce
Uncontested divorce — in which the spouses reach agreement on all matters, such as the dissolution of the marriage, the division of property, custody, alimony and compensation — is often the fastest and least damaging route, frequently concluded in a single hearing. Where the parties cannot agree, a contested-divorce process is initiated; in such an action, specific grounds such as adultery, an attempt on life, ill-treatment, abandonment or mental illness, or the general ground that the union has broken down at its foundation, may be relied upon. Our office devises a strategy by assessing which route suits the client's situation.
Custody and the Child's Personal Relationship
In custody decisions the court's sole criterion is the best interests of the child. Save for children of an age in need of maternal care and affection (especially those aged 0 to 6), custody is determined by assessing together the parent's economic situation, the relationship established with the child, the working arrangement, the housing conditions and the child's own view. Our office is experienced in reviewing reports from pedagogues and social workers, in obtaining the child's view, and in managing actions to change custody.
Important reminder: From the moment a divorce process begins, attempts to conceal assets between the spouses may intensify. For this reason, determining the assets as a precaution before or immediately after filing suit, and, where necessary, taking protective measures by way of an interim injunction, is highly important.
Matrimonial Property Regime and Liquidation
For couples married after 2002, the statutory matrimonial property regime is participation in acquired property. After divorce, the other spouse acquires a participation claim over half the value of the acquired property. Distinctions such as the contribution claim, the value-increase share and the nature of personal property form the technical dimension of the liquidation process. Our office provides valuation and calculation support across all matrimonial-property liquidation processes, including immovables, vehicles, company shareholdings and bank accounts.
Domestic Violence and Law No. 6284
Under the Law on the Protection of the Family and the Prevention of Violence against Women, preventive and protective measures may be ordered at the victim's request or of the court's own motion. A wide range of measures — such as a restraining order, no-contact, surrender of weapons, temporary financial support and a change of identity — is aimed at ensuring the safety of individuals exposed to violence. Our office conducts these processes promptly and with regard to the victim's psychological safety.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does an uncontested divorce take to conclude?
Provided the marriage has lasted at least one year and the parties agree on all matters, an uncontested divorce concludes on average within one to three months, often in a single hearing. Preparing the protocol fully and in a way that prevents future disputes is as decisive for the durability of the process as for its speed. Uncontested divorce is also possible for spouses living abroad.
We divorced abroad — are we also considered divorced in Turkiye?
No. For a divorce judgment obtained abroad to take effect in Turkiye, a recognition-and-enforcement action must be filed, or an administrative recognition procedure must be carried out under the Civil Registry Services Law No. 7044. Otherwise you will continue to appear as married in the Turkish civil records, which may create problems in areas such as a new marriage, inheritance and taxation.
Must I be unemployed in order to receive alimony?
For poverty alimony to be awarded, the party who will fall into poverty as a result of the divorce must not be more at fault than the other party and must lack a regular income. Being employed is not on its own a bar to alimony; what is assessed is whether your earnings are sufficient to meet your standard of living. Participation alimony, by contrast, is a contribution to the child's expenses and is independent of the parent.