Rabat – Morocco’s family courts recorded a slight increase in divorce filings in 2024 but issued fewer judgments overall, reflecting a growing preference for amicable separation, according to the 2024 annual report by the Higher Council of the Judiciary (CSPJ).
The country’s courts registered 40,214 divorce cases last year, up by 0.5% from 40,028 in 2023.
However, the number of judgments rendered fell by 4.2%, from 42,546 to 40,771, while conciliation cases declined by 5.7%. The CSPJ attributed this overall moderation in family litigation partly to the increased reliance on amicable settlements.
Cases of judicial dissolution of marriage (taṭlîq) dropped by 3.1% to 107,681, compared to 111,140 a year earlier. The taṭlîq for discord (chiqâq) continued to dominate, accounting for 97.4% of all dissolution cases. Other categories, such as dissolution due to absence, neglect, or breach of marital duties, accounted for less than 3%.
Mutual consent divorce remained overwhelmingly dominant, representing 96.83% of all divorces in 2024, or 38,858 cases out of 40,214.
The remaining types were far less common: pre-consummation divorce (1,217 cases, +12.9%), revocable divorce (45 cases, -37%), and divorce pronounced by royal decree (8 cases, +33%).
This trend, the report notes, reflects shifting social attitudes. Couples increasingly choose to end their marriages through mutual agreement rather than adversarial proceedings, an approach seen as more peaceful and consistent with the principles of the Moudawana, Morocco’s Family Code.
Despite this rise in amicable settlements, taṭlîq remains three times more frequent than divorce, representing 73% of all 147,895 marital separation cases filed in 2024. Divorces (ṭalâq) accounted for 27.2%.
Courts continue to face procedural hurdles, particularly in cases involving absentee spouses or refusals to resume cohabitation. These challenges often delay rulings despite ongoing efforts to digitalize judicial procedures.
Beyond legal figures, the CSPJ views these patterns as indicative of Morocco’s social transformation. Couples are increasingly aware of their rights and responsibilities, and the culture of dialogue is gaining ground in resolving marital disputes.
The council notes the steady rise of family mediation and the growing accessibility of family justice as positive developments. It plans to expand statistical monitoring to better track these evolutions, noting that conciliation and mediation are becoming central pillars of Morocco’s modernized judicial framework.
