Marriage mentoring

Shen, from Brighten Youth Up, said although some couples drop divorce proceedings during the cooling-off period, or do not visit civil affairs departments until their applications have became invalid, this does not mean problematic marital relationships have been resolved.

She said more attention needs to be paid to marriage counseling nationwide, not just in the 30-day period, but also during or even before a marriage.

"Only when couples determine the reasons for their unhappiness and work out how to get along with each other, will they have a better marital relationship," she added.

When Hu, the Chengdu lawyer, speaks to couples seeking a divorce or experiencing a crisis in their marriage, she first tries to get both parties to calm down and voice their true feelings about the relationship.

"People can become 'lost' in a marriage or find it hard to see clearly what the real problem is when they're too emotional," she said. "After listening to the views of both sides, I determine whether the marriage is suffering or already over, providing both psychological and legal help."

Guo, from the Lyu Yuan institution, said, "Providing mediation and mentoring is necessary to ensure family stability and social order."

China should step up efforts to promote such services and ensure they are fully available in communities, Guo added.