The Swiss government has announced its intention to abolish the "divorced" marital status category, supporting an initiative by liberal MP Nadine Gobé.

Gobé, a member of the liberal Free Democratic Party, has opposed the fact that divorced people must declare on official forms that they are "divorced", even many years after the end of the marriage.

According to the MP, this category of marital status is unnecessary, as divorce is a legal issue that has already been resolved.

"The requirement that someone be permanently identified as divorced means that a private event is administratively immortalized," Gobé argued.

She proposes that divorced people be returned to the "single" category on official forms, thus avoiding a special status for a marriage that has ended.

The Swiss Parliament is now expected to vote on the initiative. If approved, changes to legislation would be needed to remove the status "divorced" from official documents and forms.

The Federal Conseil supports the motion of Nadine Gobet (PLR/FR) visant à suppresser le statut civil de «divorcé» en Suisse. Le divorce resterait enregistre comme événement d'état civil, mais sans constituer un statut distinct. https://t.co/WIkAt9BMnl

— Blick Actualité & Sport (@Blick_media) September 10, 2026