Wife using the witness didn't sign illegal marriage excuse to challenge marriage legality and win quickly

After going to mediation today I was informed that my wife is saying her witness was not present or did not sign on the document that’s about we are applying going to marry. (even though I did see her friend sign the marriage endorsement document in front of me) Then towards the end of mediation her story changed into questioning if my friend signed our marriage endorsement. (which he also did in front of me)

Apparently her lawyer advised her to “TRY” this method for a quick n easy divorce even though she’s lying and even admitted to lying and taking her lawyers advice outside of the mediation room.

Maybe If I didn’t show up today it would have worked? She’s basically saying or marriage is not legal because both of our friends did not sign the marriage endorsement document. (even though they did)

Today I explained to the mediation I want to continue to try to work on the relationship in a positive way and keep it through better communication since a family emergency has come up back home and I need to visit a family member to take care of them and therefore am requesting time to work out and reconsider the divorce. I even typed up a document in English and Chinese that explained this requiring both our signatures. The mediator did not help or ask us to sign my document. Instead my mediator immediately scheduled a date with the court for the judge to hear the case of how our marriage might be an “illegal” marriage even though I know for a fact it’s not. My gut feeling is something’s fishy going on between my wife’s lawyer, the mediator, and the judge (possible bribing?) for an easy peasy divorce from illegal marriage case (even though its a 100% legal marriage) without us even being allowed time to "work out our differences and resume the relationship.

What I don’t understand is how this can even be legal, and what can I do about it and what will happen during the following scenarios below,

Scenario A. The judge trys to summons or friends who signed the endorsement but my friend can’t make it because he’s busy or left taiwan since we got married. My friend really did sign the endorsement and now the court would be trying top summons him. There is no 100% way to prove weather or not he signed, and just because he didn’t come to court does not mean that he didn’t sign.

Scenario B My wife calls up her friend that signed our endorsement in front of us and tells her to show up in court and lie, say she didn’t sign it. How can the court prove weather or not my wife’s friend is lying in collaboration with my wife? It seems like an easy way for my wife to cheat the system and win an “illegal” marriage case.

Scenario C Both my friend and my wife’s friend doesn’t show up to court and now it’s my word against hers.

All of the above scenarios do not seem legal, just, fair, accurate, or even justifiable means of questioning the legality of our marriage. Has anyone else been down this road before and can shed some light on the subject? Obviously if the judged sided with her and ruled the marriage “illegal” (even without proof that this could be true) Then she could simply remove me from the household registration document without my presence, something i’m worried about and need as i’m extending my ARC.

I feel I have been taken advantage of because i’m a foreigner and this whole situation feels corrupted. I thought the mediator was there for use to resolve this with positive communication, not fast track a court date for an “illegal” marriage case without any proof.

So Now I know the judge will most likely ask to summons our friends who signed the endorsement to court. My friend might be leaving the country soon, and her friend will most likely lie in court and say she didn’t sign it even though she did. And all in the meanwhile with my wife hoping I miss a court date with an automatic win verdict going towards her meaning all my time in Taiwan will have been “illegal” time since its based on the judges decision made without enough proof. I feel very frustrated the court could even do this, play this out there’s no way to prove anything and a 100% just legal marriage could be ruled “illegal” this has cutting corners/bribery written all over it.

Any suggestions? One idea was to get a lawyer who could request a change in judges.

It’s possible for testimony to be excluded on the basis of the witness being the plaintiff’s friend (even with multiple witnesses), but of course that works both ways.

I would ask my friend to sign an affidavit endorsing his signature and maybe even make a statement on video holding up the affidavit and repeating its contents. Ask your lawyer what you can do (get it notarized etc.) to give it more weight.

If both witnesses signed at the same time, you might point out that your wife is slandering your friend (and the person who presided over the signing?).

There is something that I don’t understand: If such a marriage endorsement was signed, where is it? Does such a document still exist? Was it destroyed in the process? What is the purpose of a document if it won’t be archived?

Thanks for the informative suggestions guys. Yes I do have the original document with both our friends signatures. She is just challenging that those are in fact not our friends signatures. Now that I think about it my recorder was still going outside the mediation room, I might just go back and see if I can find the part where she pretty much admits to lying about all of this. Thanks again guys!

nothing about a mixed Taiwanese marriage or divorce is fair to the non-Taiwanese partner.

As far as I know, the witnesses have to ID themselves before putting their signature on …

Why do you use the word “win” ? How is a divorce advantageous to you?

If she is seeking an annulment as opposed to divorce, that obviously has a high value for her.

Why don’t you go along with it and gain concessions elsewhere (money or property)?

"The couple must go to the HHR office with passports; ARC (if applicable); and a prepared written marriage agreement between the two parties, which has already been signed by two adult witnesses (witnesses do not need to appear at the HHR office). "

Taken from the AIT website.
acs.ait.org.tw/marriage-info.html

There is no procedure for the witnesses to ID themselves during the signing of the marriage agreement.

well, my marriage was in 2007 - so no idea if “things” maybe have changed.

We married at the district-court. We all, including witness, HAD to ID ourselves.
I know it, because we taped the whole (boring ceremony).
The district-court issued us marriage-certificates in chinese and on request English as well.
Wife then did the HHR by herself, putting on my name in her Hu-Kou.

Divorce however can be done easily at HHR, the same witnesses came, but they just sat
there doing nothing. 2 Signatures, done in 2 minutes.

Yep.

Marrying a Taiwanese woman is starting to sound as equitable as working for a Taiwanese boss.

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Basically. Basic rights trampled? Letter of the law ignored? law used against you?

You guys do not want to hear this but you are the minority here. The housewife in the relationship. You are at their mercy because of the balance of power being schewed.

I love me Taiwanese men but I cannot trust one enough to marry. The risk of losing everything is too high. Losing your children is a given, the rest is not that important, but will be gone too. I have seen what they can do in a divorce, both with locals and foreigner wives, and what they can get away with is terrifying. And ridiculous. It doesn’t have to be that way. But something clicks and drunken with power, kapow! Using an H bomb just because you can.

Men have it worse as said because it is assumed foreigners are drunken unfaithful bums who did not make it in their own countries so they came here to live off Taiwanese women like parasites. Never mind you paid for her living the high life here or abroad. You lie. All foreigners lie.

Hard to remember Auntie Peng’s words after a great time in bed, I know.

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The sad part is that Taiwan seems to be going down the American path of divorce rape in court (though there judges rarely side with the husband).

Puts me off of the idea of marriage all together and makes me think permanent BF/GF status is the way to go. 'Course TW girls don’t seem to agree.

The essential problem with “marriage” is it’s the most far reaching legal contract most people will ever enter into but marriage contracts are never documented. Of course that’s by design because if the terms of marriage contracts were actually written down in black and white marriage would soon become a thing of the past.

I’m suddenly trying to picture you and Simone de Beauvoir at the negotiating table.

Hence why suggesting a pre-nup is usually grounds for a breakup. XD

By the time you reach the negotiating table it’s too late.

[quote]To catch a husband is an art; to hold him is a job.[/quote]–Simone de Beauvoir

Again, it is because you are a foreigner. Same or worse if it is a foreign woman spouse. This is not Kansas, Dorothy!

Pre-nups are illegal in Taiwan. If you sign one abroad, it is not enforceable in Taiwan.

You thought I was kidding when I said we were royally scr****?

Yikes, didn’t know they’re illegal in Taiwan. That’s ridiculous, but it doesn’t surprise me. Just like in most jobs here, there’s either no contract signed or it’s extremely thin and missing most rules and policies. And of course, people tell ol’ big nose the real details when it’s too late.

I mean, I’m still not going back to American girls, but all this is making me even more cautious with local girls (I know, it’s about being a foreigner, but I’m not interested in Taiwanese men :joy: )