Three forums: where a cross-border marriage can be dissolved
Divorcing a foreign national, or dissolving a marriage registered abroad, is always a question of two legal regimes at once: the marriage was registered once, in one place, but its dissolution may take place in different countries and before different forums. Choosing the right route starts with three questions: what is your citizenship, where is the marriage registered, and is there a dispute or common minor children between the spouses.
Georgian law divides the forums precisely: under Article 1123(1) of the Civil Code, divorce takes place in court where the spouses are in dispute, and otherwise at the civil-acts registration authority. For Russian citizens, a third, consular forum is added to this administrative-judicial fork — the Russian Interests Section in Tbilisi. We explain each of the three routes below.
Note the negative space in advance: Georgian consular offices abroad register divorce only between Georgian citizens — for a mixed couple or a couple of two foreign nationals that route does not exist, and this is precisely why Georgia's domestic forums and the home country's consulates share these roles.