A cheaper divorce is possible! - The financial implications of divorce

In Hungary - based on statistics - an average of about 50 divorces take place every single day. Divorce can be very difficult not only emotionally, but also financially. Let's see how much!

Based on the current Hungarian legislation, during the legal proceedings for divorce, the parties must bear duties (the fee of procedure) and court costs.

The duty for divorce proceedings is one of the predetermined fees, which is currently HUF 30,000.

The party initiating the procedure must pay the duty at the same time as submitting the application to the court, unless the amount of duty must be determined afterwards. In the latter case, the duty must be paid by the person ordered to do so by the court.

The duty is higher if the disputed issues between the parties do not only cover the dissolution of the marriage, but also its ancillary issues. In such cases, the duty (6%) must be paid based on the value of the entire property, which can be a maximum of HUF 1.5 million.

The duty must be paid to the court. The parties may also have so-called court cost: the costs of court proceedings shall include all expenses the party has necessarily incurred during or prior to the proceedings in a causal relationship with the enforcement of a right in the action, including the loss of income stemming necessarily from having to appear before the court. The court decides on the bearing of court costs during the proceedings, regardless of who „won” the lawsuit, taking all the circumstances into account. The court costs include the fee of the legal representative as well, and it may also include the fee of the expert assigned during the procedure or the fee of the assigned interpreter. During a longer procedure, both the expert's fee and the lawyer's fee can be a significant amount.

In order to increase the efficiency of communication with a legal representative, as well as to possibly reduce the costs incurred, we would like to provide some practical advice below.

§ The proper transfer of information plays an extremely important role. All the relevant data and information should be written down and sent to the lawyer by e-mail. Important information will be easier to find this way. It is also essential that we inform our lawyer about important changes in our lives: for example, when we move or have a new partner

§ It is also essential that we hand over all the documents or copies required in the lawsuit to the lawyer: such as the marriage certificate, the prenup (if you have one), or documents relating to children.

§ In Hungary, the spouses have the option to "mutually request divorce on the basis of their final understanding reached without undue influence."

This form of dissolution is only possible is the spouses have agreed on the exercise of parental custody over their common child, the contact arrangements between the parent living separately and the child, child maintenance, use of the matrimonial home, and, if claimed, spousal maintenance, and their settlement reached before the court is approved by the court.

The duty must be paid even if the parties can come to an agreement, however, if the court approves the agreement, the court costs will be significantly lower than in the case of a lengthy lawsuit, and the parties can decide who has to bear the court costs. The legal representatives also provide comprehensive assistance in formulating the content of the agreement, the cost of which is also much lower than if endless litigation were to take place.

§ We recommend that if you have questions during the procedure, ask them in detail and in writing, so that your legal representative can give you a more specific and faster answer. At the same time, in order to represent your interests as successfully as possible, the lawyer may also need information. It is important to ensure that we respond to such requests in a timely and meaningful manner.

If you would like to divorce your partner, or need help in solving other family law disputes, feel free to contact our office! We have a lot of experience in solving family law disputes quickly and discreetly - but if necessary, with perseverance and dedication.

As of 1 March 2026, a significant amendment has entered into force in Hungarian real estate law affecting condominium developments: the legislator has introduced a new legal institution, the Condominium Right of Improvement (társasházi építményi jog).

The new regime was enacted, inter alia, through amendments to Act CXXXIII of 2003 on Condominiums and Act C of 2021 on the Real Estate Registry. Its purpose is to provide a more structured and secure legal framework for purchasers in condominium projects under construction.

In this article we summarise the practical implications of the Condominium Right of Improvement for developers, purchasers and financing institutions.

Decree 2/2026 (II. 19.) KTM amends two existing legislative instruments: on the one hand, it clarifies the rules governing the allocation of topographical lot numbers (place numbers) to independent real properties; on the other hand, it introduces detailed amendments to the provisions concerning the fees payable for specified land registry proceedings, as well as for the provision of data from the land registry and from state basic data registers.

On 19 February 2026, Government Decree 28/2026 (II. 19.) was promulgated, introducing an important amendment to the implementing regulation of the electricity (Government Decree 273/2007 (X. 19.) – hereinafter: “Implementing Decree”). The purpose of the amendment is to ensure that inverter replacements carried out in connection with the Home Energy Storage Programme („Otthoni Energiatároló Program”), launched in 2025 and announced for 2026, do not result in unfavourable settlement consequences for operators of household-sized small power plants.

The Home Energy Storage Programme is a state aid scheme designed to promote the installation of battery energy storage systems connected to residential photovoltaic systems. Within the framework of the programme, households may apply for non-repayable grants, subject to specified conditions, for the establishment of energy storage systems.

In this article, we present the essence and practical relevance of the legislative amendment, as well as the legal framework within which inverter replacements and settlement-related issues must be assessed.

Government Decree No. 415/2025 (XII. 23.) on the amendment of consumer protection–related government decrees with a view to ensuring a higher level of consumer protection introduces substantial changes in the field of consumer protection as of 2026.

In this article, we briefly summarise those amendments which will be perceptible to consumers in everyday life and may be of particular practical importance from 2026 onwards.

Government Decree No. 415/2025 (XII. 23.) amends a total of six government decrees related to consumer protection.
The objectives of the amendments are, on the one hand, to strengthen consumer protection and, on the other hand, to reduce the administrative burden on businesses, while also ensuring compliance with EU law and legal harmonisation.

Government Decree No. 448/2025 (XII. 29.) amends Government Decree No. 327/2015 (XI. 10.) on the detailed rules of professional practice related to surveying and cartographic activities for non-cadastral purposes by introducing a new concept and new rules. These amendments will enter into force on 14 January 2026.

The most significant change is the introduction of the concept of the planning base map, the preparation of which now mandatorily requires the setting out of the property boundary.

In practice, the new regulation aims to ensure more uniform, more accurate and, from the perspective of the planning process, more reliable base maps, which may help prevent future conflicts and legal disputes. At the same time, the additional requirements are likely to slow down procedures and increase costs, and stakeholders should be prepared for this impact.