Divorce by Proxy (not in Taiwan, no contest, possible?)

I am from the UK, my wife is from Taiwan. We were married 9 years ago in Tainan city. We now live semi-separately in China - we share the raising of our daughter, and we work together, so we see a lot of each other, but there’s no marriage so to speak.

My wife has agreed to a divorce, but refuses to go back to Taiwan to do it.

She has said she will sign whatever papers I give to her. I’m not sure what her exact reasons for not wanting to go to back. Last time she went back she got detained at the airport t because of unpaid taxes; maybe this is the reason (although as far as I know that issue was all cleaned up). Maybe she doesn’t want to face her family in Taiwan because of the divorce. Possibly she just wants to make my life more difficult.

Whatever the reason, I really want to somehow get this divorce ruling as soon as possible.

A good friend of mine in Taiwan has picked up and sent me the blue “Request for Divorce” paper.

Another friend who recently successfully divorced in Taiwan told me the procedure that he took: Get two Taiwan ID holders to sign the forms, and then he and his wife signed the forms in the presence of the notary at the city courthouse. The various parties needed to provide ID copies and household reports (please let me know anything I have missed here.)

What I want to know is there any way I can get the divorce ruling without my wife going to Taiwan? For example, could I enlist the services of attorney in Taiwan and pay for him/her to come to China to witness her signature?

[Note: I have also spoken to several lawyers in China, and also to a lawyer in the UK. The consensus is that getting the divorce ruling in Taiwan should by far the easiest way.]

I guess my question was too unusual to elicit a quick answer.

Does anyone know of an attorney of family law in Taipei or elsewhere in Taiwan who has good English and specialize in divorces for the expat community? I’m willing to pay whatever it takes for consultation and services.

I am in a similar situation like you and, based on a past experience (not divorce related), recommend you the following law firm in Taipei:

Perennial Law Office
Taipei address: 7F-2, No. 9, Roosevelt Road, Section 2, Taipei
Tel: 2395-6989
Fax: 2391-4235
E-mail: lawlee2@ms29.hinet.net

Taichung address: 8F-2, No. 89, Bo Guan Road, Hung Kou District, Taichung
Telephone: (04) 329-8886 Fax: (04)329-8825

Areas of practice: Child custody, marriage/divorce, estates, banking and financial law, collections, contracts, corporations, marketing agreements, foreign investment, labor relations, insurance, real estate, patent/trademark/copyright law, personal injury, immigration, criminal law, and government relations.

They have a Canadian lawyer as a consultant. His name is Richard P. Harnetty.

I could not use their services this time due to a conflict of interest (were working for my wife before).