Co esponding au ho : Nino Ki osh ili
Copy igh © 2025 Au ho (s) e ain he copy igh o his a icle. This a icle is published unde he e ms o he C ea i e Commons A ibu ion Liscense 4.0.
Legal and psychological challenges o p enup ial ag eemen s in Geo gia: An analy ical
o e iew
Ke e an Kukhianidze 1, Nino Ki osh ili 2, * and Tamila Khu sidze 3
1 PhD in Law, Akaki Tse e eli S a e Uni e si y, Ku aisi, Geo gia.
2 PhD in Applied Social Psychology, Mas e o Law, Uni e si y o Geo gia, Tbilisi, Geo gia.
3 PhD in Law, Akaki Tse e eli S a e Uni e si y, Ku aisi, Geo gia.
Wo ld Jou nal o Ad anced Resea ch and Re iews, 2025, 26(02), 2392-2400
Publica ion his o y: Recei ed on 05 Ap il 2025; e ised on 13 May 2025; accep ed on 15 May 2025
A icle DOI: h ps://doi.o g/10.30574/wja .2025.26.2.1838
Abs ac
In he mode n wo ld, he ins i u ion o he p enup ial ag eemen occupies a signi ican place in bo h p i a e law and he
sys em o egula ing social ela ions. The in oduc ion o ele an p o isions in o he Ci il Code o Geo gia in 1997
es ablished a legal ounda ion o he o mal egula ion o p ope y ela ions be ween spouses. Ne e heless, he
p ac ical applica ion o his ins i u ion emains ex emely limi ed in Geo gia. This s udy combines legal, compa a i e-
legal, and psycho-social analyses and aims o p o ide a comp ehensi e assessmen o he exis ing egula ions and
ba ie s ela ed o p enup ial ag eemen s in he Geo gian con ex , compa ed o in e na ional p ac ice. No ma i e and
compa a i e-legal me hods we e employed in he esea ch. The cu en egula ions o he Ci il Code o Geo gia we e
e alua ed in e ms o hei subs an i e ai ness, equali y, and p o ec ion o he bes in e es s o he child. In pa allel, he
legal amewo ks o Ge many, Hunga y, and Poland we e analyzed o iden i y elemen s o Eu opean p ac ice ha could
be adap ed o he Geo gian legal con ex . The legal analysis is complemen ed by an o e iew o p eceden s om Cou s,
as well as he psycho-social signi icance o he e ec i e unc ioning o p enup ial ag eemen s. The s udy concludes ha
p enup ial ag eemen s in Geo gia cu en ly lack bo h legal cla i y and social legi imacy. To ensu e he e ec i e
unc ioning o his ins i u ion, i is necessa y o e ine he legisla i e amewo k, enhance he explana o y componen
o he no a ial p ocess, and in eg a e he p ac ice mo e ully in o he Geo gian legal sys em.
Keywo ds: P enup ial ag eemen ; Eu opean Union; Eu opean Cou o Human Righ s
1. In oduc ion
The ins i u ion o he p enup ial ag eemen cons i u es a no able ad ancemen wi hin he ealm o Geo gian p i a e
law, ha ing secu ed a s able posi ion in he na ional legal sys em (Shengelia & Shengelia, 2018). The e o m o he Ci il
Code o Geo gia in 1997 laid he no ma i e g oundwo k o he egula ion o ma i al p ope y con ac s, he eby
signi ican ly expanding he legal lexibili y a ailable o spouses in managing hei p ope y ela ions (Ja akhish ili,
2016).
Despi e he p esence o a o mal legal amewo k, he p ac ical implemen a ion o p enup ial ag eemen s in Geo gia
emains ma kedly limi ed and con inues o encoun e subs an ial obs acles. This limi ed applica ion may be a ibu ed
o a combina ion o ac o s, including he agmen ed na u e o exis ing legal no ms, socio-economic cons ain s, and
en enched psychological and cul u al biases wi hin socie y. Such biases o en gi e ise o a nega i e pe cep ion o
p enup ial ag eemen s as incompa ible wi h he mo al and emo ional ounda ions adi ionally asc ibed o ma iage
(Kilian, 2020). In Geo gian cul u al discou se, he p e ailing na a i e con inues o ame hese ag eemen s as
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an i he ical o he "sanc i y" o ma iage, equen ly associa ing hem wi h mis us and an an icipa ion o ma i al
dissolu ion (Luhmann, 1985).
In he cu en con ex —cha ac e ized by a g owing numbe o p ope y dispu es, amilial con lic s, and ising di o ce
a es (S a is ical O ice o Geo gia, 2023)— he p enup ial ag eemen has he po en ial o se e as a i al legal ins umen
ha con ibu es bo h o he p o ec ion o spouses’ in e es s and o he alle ia ion o p essu e on he judicial sys em
(Becke & Boehnke, 2020).
In line wi h con empo a y ends in he de elopmen o p i a e law, a unc ional eassessmen o legal ins umen s
go e ning p ope y ela ions is impe a i e. Such e o m would simul aneously s eng hen indi idual au onomy and
p omo e amily s abili y based on sha ed in e es s (Shengelia & Shengelia, 2018).
This s udy aims o p o ide an in e disciplina y e alua ion o he legal, psycho-social, and cul u al-in e p e i e
challenges associa ed wi h he ins i u ion o he p enup ial ag eemen in he Geo gian con ex . I assesses he
e ec i eness and applicabili y o exis ing egula ions, iden i ies ba ie s o implemen a ion, and si ua es he Geo gian
case wi hin a compa a i e in e na ional amewo k.
To achie e i s objec i es, he esea ch in ends o pu sue he ollowing di ec ions:
• Analysis o he Legisla i e F amewo k – The s udy will examine he applicable p o isions o he Ci il Code
o Geo gia (A icles 1172–1175) go e ning he o ma ion and ope a ion o p enup ial ag eemen s, in o de o
assess hei compa ibili y wi h he cons i u ional p inciples o ma iage and amily p o ec ion.
• Compa a i e Legal Analysis – The esea ch will analyze he legal p ac ices o Ge many, Hunga y, and Poland
in e ms o p ope y egimes, no a ial egula ion, and consen s anda ds, aiming o iden i y adap able elemen s
o compa a i e models.
• Assessmen o Eu opean T ends – The s udy will conside con empo a y challenges in Eu opean amily law,
including he in eg a ion o subs an i e ai ness p inciples and he psycho-social in e es s o he child in o
ma i al ag eemen s, he eby expanding he unc ional ho izons o he ins umen .
The esea ch will seek o add ess he ollowing ques ions:
• To wha ex en do he p o isions o he Ci il Code o Geo gia (A icles 1172–1175) align wi h in e na ional
s anda ds, and wha subs an i e gaps exis wi hin hem?
• Wha is he ole o psychological and cul u al ac o s in he ela i ely low u iliza ion o p enup ial ag eemen s
in Geo gia?
• How can Geo gian legisla ion bene i om he expe iences o he Eu opean Cou o Human Righ s, he Sup eme
Cou o he Uni ed Kingdom, he High Cou o England and Wales, and in e na ional s udies in he con ex o
p e en ing amily con lic s and p o ec ing he in e es s o child en?
2. Fo ma ion, Modi ica ion, Te mina ion, and Annulmen o a P enup ial Ag eemen
A p enup ial ag eemen is a ci il-law ac h ough which indi iduals egula e p ope y igh s and obliga ions. The legal
o ce o such a documen depends no only on he ac o o mu ual consen bu also on he ull legal capaci y o he
pa ies in ol ed. Acco ding o A icle 12 o he Ci il Code o Geo gia, an indi idual a ains ull legal capaci y a he age
o 18 (Ci il Code o Geo gia, A icle 12).
Legal capaci y e e s o an indi idual's abili y o ully unde s and he signi icance, mo i a ion, and legal consequences
o he legal ac ions hey unde ake. This p inciple is especially ele an in cases whe e one o he pa ies o he
ag eemen is a pe son wi h a disabili y o someone who has speci ic psychological o men al heal h needs.
Acco ding o A icle 1175 o he Ci il Code o Geo gia, a pe son wi h limi ed legal capaci y may only en e in o a
p enup ial ag eemen wi h he consen o hei legal ep esen a i e. This p o ision aims o sa egua d he in e es s o
he indi idual while ensu ing he legal alidi y o he con ac .
The p o ec ion o he igh s o pe sons wi h disabili ies is an in e na ional obliga ion o he s a e, e lec ed bo h in
na ional legisla ion and a ious in e na ional ins umen s. A icle 22 o Geo gia’s "P i a e In e na ional Law" ou lines
he p inciple ha a pe son’s legal s a us is de e mined by he law o he coun y o hei na ionali y. The e o e, in he
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case o a mixed-na ionali y couple, i is necessa y o assess he legal capaci y o bo h pa ies based on he laws o hei
espec i e coun ies (Tumanish ili, 2019).
Unde he Ge man Ci il Code, he o ma ion o a p enup ial ag eemen by a pe son wi h limi ed legal capaci y is
accompanied by addi ional p o ec i e mechanisms: no only is he consen o he legal ep esen a i e equi ed, bu also
he app o al o he Family Cou o he gua dianship au ho i y (BGB § 1903, § 1909). This ule se es bo h o ensu e
legal p o ec ion and o p e en po en ial cases o abuse.
A p enup ial ag eemen , as a ci il con ac , is subjec o modi ica ion, e mina ion, and annulmen . Acco ding o legal
doc ine, gi en he na u e o he ag eemen , he pa ies may mu ually ag ee o amend he e ms o he documen i he e
a e changes in p ope y s a us, heal h condi ion, o o he essen ial aspec s o he ela ionship.
The Ci il Code o Geo gia does no explici ly de ine he p ocedu e o modi ying a con ac ; howe e , he gene al ci il
law p inciples ega ding modi ica ion and e mina ion o ag eemen s apply. A unila e al modi ica ion is no pe mi ed,
as he con ac ep esen s a bila e al olun a y ac .
P o esso s Roman and Eka e ine Shengelia no e ha any modi ica ion should be based on a signi ican eason, and he
modi ica ion should no place he in e es s o he pa ies in an unequal posi ion (Shengelia & Shengelia, 2018). Fo
ins ance, i a spouse loses hei abili y o wo k and he edis ibu ion o p ope y becomes necessa y, he e may be
g ounds o e ising he ag eemen h ough judicial means.
The e mina ion o he ag eemen occu s when all condi ions ou lined in he con ac a e ul illed, o when he pa ies
mu ually ag ee o cease he ag eemen . Annulmen , on he o he hand, occu s in cases whe e:
The ag eemen was made unde psychological p essu e o decei ;
• One o he pa ies was coe ced in o ag eeing o he e ms due o ea o nega i e consequences;
• The legally equi ed o m was iola ed (e.g., he ag eemen was no no a ized);
• The pa icipa ing indi idual was a mino o was ecognized as legally incompe en by he cou .
• In such cases, he cou is au ho ized o annul he ag eemen , ei he in ull o in pa .
3. P enup ial Ag eemen : Legal Founda ions and P ac ical Challenges in Geo gia
A p enup ial ag eemen is a con empo a y legal mechanism ha p o ides o he p e-de ini ion o p ope y and, in
ce ain cases, o he ypes o igh s and obliga ions be ween spouses, ei he be o e o a e ma iage. Despi e i s
po en ial, his ins i u ion emains unde u ilized and legally insu icien ly e ined in Geo gia (Schulz, 2018).
Acco ding o he Ci il Code o Geo gia, he legal egula ion o o mal ma i al ela ions be ween spouses is de ined by he
ollowing p o isions:
A icle 1172 o he Ci il Code o Geo gia g an s spouses he igh o de ine p ope y igh s and obliga ions bo h du ing
he ma iage and in he e en o di o ce (Ci il Code o Geo gia, A icle 1172). Howe e , his p o ision does no co e
essen ial issues such as he upb inging o mino child en, cus ody, egula ion o ela ionships, esidence, o he
dis ibu ion o educa ional expenses. These ma e s o en become he subjec o se ious dispu es and emo ional
ensions in p ac ice, which p ima ily impac he psycho-social well-being o mino child en (Shengelia & Shengelia,
2018).
Acco ding o A icle 1173 o he Ci il Code o Geo gia, "a p enup ial con ac may be made bo h be o e and a e he
egis a ion o he ma iage, a any ime" (Ci il Code o Geo gia, A icle 1173). This p o ision c ea es a gene al legal
amewo k o en e ing in o a p enup ial ag eemen ; howe e , he no m lacks su icien in e p e a ional cla i y,
pa icula ly ega ding he possibili y o concluding an ag eemen be o e he ma iage. The e m "in ended spouses" is
no explici ly men ioned, which aises ques ions abou who may en e in o he con ac be o e ma iage. To a oid his
issue, acco ding o Thompson (2024), i is ad isable o cla i y he p o ision and adop he ollowing e ised e sion: "A
p enup ial con ac may be made be ween in ended spouses bo h be o e and a e he egis a ion o he ma iage, a
any ime."
Such a e ision would imp o e he in e p e a ional cla i y o he de ini ion, educe legal ambigui ies, and assis bo h
ci izens and p ac icing lawye s in e ec i ely applying he no m. Despi e he exis ence o a legal ounda ion, he use o
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p enup ial ag eemen s emains a a e p ac ice in Geo gia. F om 1997 o 2024, only abou 1,000 ag eemen s ha e been
egis e ed na ionwide, o which 858 we e egis e ed be ween Ma ch 23, 2009, and Ap il 29, 2024 — ollowing he
ac i a ion o he elec onic no a ial egis y (Geo gian Chambe o No a ies, 2024). Fo example, in 2024, only 13 new
ag eemen s we e concluded, he majo i y o which we e be ween mixed-na ionali y couples (Geo gian Chambe o
No a ies, 2024).
The low usage o p enup ial ag eemen s is a ibu ed o se e al ac o s:
• F agmen a ion o legal egula ions, which does no p o ide gua an ees o he condi ions o he ag eemen 's
conclusion, olun a iness, in o med consen , and equali y;
• Low public awa eness, which c ea es a psychological ba ie o o malized ag eemen s on p ope y ma e s
be o e ma iage;
• Socio-economic ac o s, pa icula ly he lack o inancial s abili y among he b oade popula ion, which gi es
he imp ession ha he need o such ag eemen s is ese ed o he "eli e" (Becke & Boehnke, 2020; Ke alas
e al., 2011).
In Geo gian socie y, he e emains a s ong belie ha lo e excludes "ba gaining," and discussing p ope y ma e s
be o e o du ing ma iage may be pe cei ed as dis us o as causing es angemen be ween pa ne s. In eali y, as
con empo a y legal and psychosocial s udies demons a e, p e-ag eed e ms p omo e mu ual unde s anding,
pa ne ship esponsibili y, and con lic p e en ion (P ue & Ba ke , 2009; Schulz, 2018).
A icle 1174 de ines only he o mal equi emen s o he con ac — w i en o m and no a iza ion (Ci il Code o
Geo gia, A icle 1174). Howe e , in p ac ice, he in ol emen o no a ies is limi ed o a o mal unc ion, while a con ac
en e ed in o wi hou simul aneous in o med consen and equali y could la e become he basis o a dispu e o
annulmen (Shengelia & Shengelia, 2018).
4. Legal Founda ion and P ac ical Challenges o P enup ial Ag eemen s Ab oad
4.1. Ge many
Ge man ci il law ep esen s one o he leading models in e ms o he egula ion o p enup ial ag eemen s. A p enup ial
con ac in Ge many is a legal ins umen aimed a clea ly de ining p ope y ela ions du ing o be o e ma iage. The
s anda d legal egime is Zugewinngemeinscha , which in ol es he equal di ision o p ope y acqui ed du ing he
ma iage (BGB, § 1363). Howe e , pa ies ha e he igh o modi y his egime h ough a no a ized ag eemen and
choose models o p ope y di ision (Gü e ennung) o join p ope y owne ship (Gü e gemeinscha ) (Mo ley,
2022).
Unde Ge man law, any p o ision ha con a enes public policy (O d e Public) — o example, p o isions ha
nega i ely a ec child en — is conside ed oid (Schulz, 2018). Judicial p ac ice con i ms ha a con ac ha clea ly
ha ms one spouse may be annulled as imp ope ly execu ed (BGH, 2013).
Mo eo e , acco ding o he no ms o in e na ional p i a e law, couples can choose he applicable law o hei p enup ial
ag eemen , such as he law o he spouse’s coun y o ci izenship o he coun y whe e he p ope y is loca ed (Mo ley,
2022).
4.2. Hunga y
Hunga ian law egula es he in e na ional aspec s o p enup ial ag eemen s h ough he 1979 Dec ee (Law-Dec ee No.
13 o 1979 on P i a e In e na ional Law). Acco ding o he ele an p o isions, pa ies may choose he law hey p e e ,
including ha o he coun y whe e one o he spouses has a pe manen esidence o na ionali y (Ko ács, 2015).
The Hunga ian Ci il Code also p o ides o ag eemen s ha do no iola e undamen al igh s o he balance be ween
he pa ies. This c ea es a lexible legal amewo k, pa icula ly o mixed-na ionali y couples, signi ican ly educing he
isk o con lic (Mo ley, 2022).
4.3. Poland
Polish law egula es p enup ial ag eemen s unde he 1965 In e na ional P i a e Law Ac , speci ically A icle 17, which
s a es ha p ope y ela ions a e go e ned by he law o he coun y o common na ionali y o he spouses. I he
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spouses do no sha e he same na ionali y, he law o he loca ion o he p ope y o Polish law applies (Codozasady.pl,
2022).
A icle 47 o he Polish Ci il Code (Kodeks Cywilny) s ipula es ha he ag eemen mus be no a ized, which s eng hens
he gua an ees o in o med consen and equali y be ween he pa ies. Howe e , local p ac ice shows ha he use o his
ins umen emains low, especially among couples who do no possess signi ican p ope y asse s (Nowak & S oka,
2019).
5. Local and In e na ional P ac ices o Regula ing Legal Dispu es Rela ed o P enup ial Ag eemen s
5.1. Geo gian P ac ice
Despi e he ac ha he Geo gian Ci il Code p o ides o he ins i u ion o p enup ial ag eemen s, hei applica ion in
cou p oceedings o en e eals issues such as he equali y o he pa ies, in o med consen , and he subs an i e ai ness
o he ag eemen . P ac ice shows ha he legal egula ions a e no su icien ly de ailed, and he in e p e a ion o he
exis ing no ms la gely depends on judicial disc e ion.
Fo example, in he case (№ 2b/4895, 10.05.2016) decided by he Ci il Chambe o he Tbilisi Cou o Appeal, i was
de e mined ha i a p enup ial ag eemen egula es he p ope y ela ions o he spouses di e en ly han he law,
p io i y should be gi en o he ag eemen . In his case, he p enup ial ag eemen should be conside ed he special sou ce
o egula ing he ela ionship be ween he pa ies.
In he case (NАС-840-798-2013, 24.01.2014) decided by he Ci il Chambe o he Sup eme Cou o Geo gia, he cou
de e mined ha , despi e he ac ha he law allows he possibili y o he cou o al e he e ms o a p enup ial
ag eemen , his is a si ua ion whe e he cou , based on he s a emen o he in e es ed spouse, may modi y he
p o isions o he ag eemen ha place one o he spouses in an ex emely disad an ageous posi ion. In Geo gian judicial
p ac ice, he e has been a case whe e he de endan appealed he disc imina o y na u e o he p enup ial ag eemen ,
bu a e examining he case, he cou did no g an he eques o al e he e ms o he p enup ial ag eemen .
5.2. In e na ional Judicial P ac ice
A he in e na ional le el, p enup ial ag eemen s a e assessed based on he Eu opean Con en ion on Human Righ s,
pa icula ly unde A icle 8 o he Con en ion ( igh o espec o p i a e and amily li e).
One impo an uling ha became a landma k in his a ea was Radmache . G ana ino (UK Sup eme Cou , 2010 UKSC
42), whe e he UK Sup eme Cou uled ha a p enup ial ag eemen should no iola e he equali y and eedom igh s
o he pa ies in ol ed. The cou emphasized ha i one pa y lacked ull in o ma ion o was no in an equal posi ion
when en e ing in o he ag eemen , he con ac should no be g an ed binding legal e ec .
The Eu opean Cou o Human Righ s, in he case o Küçük . Tu key (2016, 62 EHRR 1), examined he iola ion o gende
equali y be ween a woman and a man, whe e he woman had no eal oppo uni y o nego ia e o al e he e ms o he
ag eemen . The Cou uled ha such documen s canno be conside ed ai and may be decla ed in alid i hey iola e
equali y o digni y.
The High Cou o England and Wales, in he case X . X (2002 EWHC 1234 (Fam)), emphasizes ha he pa ies should
no be gi en he oppo uni y o easily de ia e om he e ms o he ag eemen , as he cou should no in e e e wi h
he " e i o y o he con ac ." The Cou highligh ed ha , when pa ies a e capable o nego ia ing independen ly and
making decisions ha align wi h gene al p inciples and do no con a ene public o de , he ag eemen should be
espec ed.
6. P enup ial Ag eemen in he Con ex o P o ec ing he Bes In e es s o he Child in Psycho-Social
Te ms
A p enup ial ag eemen is o en pe cei ed as a cold, legally binding ins umen ocused solely on p ope y ma e s.
Howe e , om he pe spec i e o psychological and social sciences, i can become an impo an mechanism ha educes
he isk o psycho-social ha m o child en in he e en o a di o ce.
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6.1. Family and di o ce in he psycho-social con ex
The amily is he i s social en i onmen o a child, whe e undamen al alues, emo ional egula ion, and social-
cogni i e skills a e de eloped (Pa sons & Bales, 1956). Di o ce, as he disin eg a ion o he amily, c ea es a powe ul
s esso o child en, especially when he p ocess is p olonged and has a con lic ual na u e. Resea ch shows ha in such
condi ions, child en de elop emo ional dys unc ions, beha io al p oblems, academic ailu e, and dec eased sel -es eem
(P ue & Ba ke , 2009; Acke man & Kane, 2007; Lochman & Ma ys, 2018).
The isks a e pa icula ly high when dispu es be ween pa en s escala e o he cou le el and he e a e no p e-ag eed
a angemen s ega ding child- ea ing and he di ision o pa en al esponsibili ies. Al hough he cou has wide
disc e ion, a ailable se ices—such as psychological counseling, social wo k, o media ion—and e en he se ing o
p ocedu al deadlines o en ail o neu alize he con lic ual backg ound, which can be especially dis essing o he child
(Nu se & Thompson, 2009; Hom ich, 2005).
6.2. The Ma i al Ag eemen as a Mechanism o P oac i e and Reac i e Con ol
• P oac i e Con ol Func ion – A ma i al ag eemen es ablishes a p e-nego ia ed amewo k ha enables he
couple o peace ully and legally manage no only p ope y- ela ed ma e s bu also key aspec s such as child-
ea ing, esidence, alimony, and pa en al in ol emen . When hese issues a e ou lined h ough mu ual
consensus and ce i ied by a no a y, he child is shielded om emo ionally pain ul legal dispu es.
• Reac i e Con ol Func ion – In he e en o di o ce, he exis ence o such an ag eemen allows he cou o
ac swi ly and e ec i ely, wi h minimal in e en ion and wi hou escala ing he con lic . This signi ican ly
educes he child’s psycho-social s ess and ans o ms he con ac ual p o isions in o a mechanism o con lic
esolu ion.
Mo eo e , p o isions such as "pa en al conduc s anda ds," " isi a ion schedules," and "suppo obliga ions" os e an
app oach g ounded in pa ne ship and sha ed esponsibili y, which psychologically alle ia es he child’s emo ional
bu den associa ed wi h he dissolu ion o amily ela ionships.
6.3. Geo gian P ac ice and Challenges
In Geo gia, he in ol emen o psycho-social se ices in di o ce p oceedings is o mally p o ided o by legisla ion (Ci il
P ocedu e Code A icles 1127–1128); howe e , in p ac ice, he use o such se ices is ex emely limi ed, and he e is no
a ailable da a on hei e ec i eness. As highligh ed in schola ly wo ks (Ki osh ili, 2021), ins i u ions such as he Tbilisi
Ci y Cou do no sys ema ically employ psychologis s, social wo ke s, o media ion mechanisms, no is he e s a is ical
acking o he ou comes ela ed o hei in ol emen .
In his con ex , he p enup ial ag eemen can se e as a ool o o malizing he di o ce p ocess and es ablishing a
anspa en s anda d o child wel a e. When mu ually ag eed-upon obliga ions a e ou lined in ad ance, he cou is no
equi ed o manage a con en ious p ocess—decisions a e ins ead based on he pa ies’ ee will and p io consensus.
6.4. Less Ha m ul Ou comes o he Child: Con ac , Responsibili y, and Legal P ede ini ion
The obliga ions ou lined in a mu ually ag eed-upon p enup ial ag eemen c ea e a legally obus and psychologically
sa e en i onmen o he child. The child is no subjec ed o unce ain y, ongoing con lic , neglec , o cogni i e
dissonance. Pa en al esponsibili ies a e de ined in ad ance, which con ibu es o con lic educ ion be ween he
pa en s and p omo es consis en communica ion wi h he child.
Such an app oach no only os e s a cul u e o esponsibili y be ween he pa ies bu also suppo s he humaniza ion o
judicial p ac ice. P e en i e jus ice— his is he essence o con ac -based legal con lic esolu ion. As psychological
s udies con i m, a s uc u ed legal amewo k signi ican ly educes he emo ional dis ess child en expe ience as a
esul o di o ce (P ue & Ba ke , 2009; Family Jus ice Re iew, 2011).
6.5. Summa y
This s udy in eg a es legal, psycho-social, and compa a i e legal analyses ega ding he ins i u ion o he p enup ial
ag eemen , emphasizing i s po en ial as a ool o con lic p e en ion, legal s abili y, sha ed esponsibili y be ween
pa ne s, and he p o ec ion o he child’s bes in e es s.
Al hough he legal basis o concluding p enup ial ag eemen s has exis ed in Geo gia since 1997, he cu en legisla ion
emains agmen ed and is weakly implemen ed in p ac ice. The p o isions go e ning he conclusion, modi ica ion, and
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annulmen o such ag eemen s (A icles 1172–1175 o he Ci il Code) ail o p o ide su icien legal cla i y and
subs an i e dep h. C i ical issues such as he legal s a us o mino child en, gua an ees o equali y, o speci ic o ms o
legal capaci y a e no adequa ely add essed.
Agains he backd op o socie al men ali y, economic ins abili y, and in o ma ion de ici s, p enup ial ag eemen s a e
o en pe cei ed as a sign o dis us a he han an exp ession o pa ne esponsibili y. These ac o s signi ican ly limi
he use o his legal ins umen . S a is ical da a also con i ms he low p ac ical implemen a ion – only abou 1,000
ag eemen s in 27 yea s (No a y Chambe o Geo gia, 2024).
The analysis o in e na ional p ac ices—using he examples o Ge many, Hunga y, and Poland—demons a es ha
p enup ial ag eemen s he e se e as an ac i e legal mechanism, p o ec ed by bo h o mal and subs an i e s anda ds
o ai ness. Pa icula ly, he Ge man model p o ides an e ec i e empla e o legal ha moniza ion o Geo gia, whe e
he p inciples o subs an i e ai ness and equali y a e much mo e clea ly de ined.
Judicial p ac ice, bo h in Geo gia and in e na ionally, highligh s ha o mal compliance (e.g., no a ial ce i ica ion) is
no su icien o he alidi y o an ag eemen . Equali y, good ai h, and alignmen wi h he eal social con ex a e
conside ed undamen al c i e ia o assessing he legal o ce o an ag eemen . P eceden s om he Eu opean Cou o
Human Righ s (ECHR), he Sup eme Cou o England and Wales, and he UK Sup eme Cou emphasize he
p io i iza ion o in o med consen , digni y, and eedom, in acco dance wi h gene al p inciples and public o de .
An impo an aspec is also he issue o he child's in e es s. F om a psycho-social pe spec i e, a ma iage con ac can
become an e ec i e mechanism o educing con lic , ensu ing s able pa en al esponsibili y, and p o iding emo ional
p o ec ion o he child. In Geo gia's p ac ice, whe e psycho-social se ices a e a ely u ilized, he con ac may se e a
compensa o y unc ion—as a legal s uc u e ha suppo s he child's s able de elopmen .
7. Conclusion
The in e disciplina y analysis o he ins i u ion o he ma iage con ac has e ealed ha he exis ing legal amewo k
in Geo gia — despi e o mal egula ion — ails o ensu e i s e ec i e unc ioning in p ac ice. A icles 1172–1175 o he
Ci il Code p o ide a gene al legal basis, bu hey do no add ess mechanisms ela ed o subs an i e ai ness, s anda ds
o child p o ec ion, and he p inciple o equali y. This signi ican ly limi s he ins umen 's applicabili y bo h as a
p e en i e legal ag eemen and as a ool o managing amily con lic s.
The esea ch has shown ha he low implemen a ion a e o hese egula ions is due no only o subs an i e laws bu
also o in e p e a ional ambigui y in he legisla ion, limi ed no a ial p ac ices, and he low le el o public awa eness.
The compa a i e analysis o Ge many, Hunga y, and Poland illus a es ha e ec i e legal models a e based on he
p inciples o equali y and in o med consen , as well as he legal de ini ion o he bes in e es s o he child, which has
no ye been ully in eg a ed in o he Geo gian legal sys em.
The e o e, i can be said ha , a p esen , he ins i u ion o he ma i al con ac in Geo gia does no ul ill he
mul i unc ional ole i assumes in Eu opean p ac ice—i has no ye been ans o med in o a p e en i e ins umen
based on esponsibili y and a ionali y. Fo he de elopmen o his ins i u ion, i is necessa y o e ine he subs ance o
he legisla ion, ha monize i wi h in e na ional s anda ds, and conside he inco po a ion o psycho-social app oaches
in he p ocess.
Compliance wi h e hical s anda ds
Disclosu e o con lic o in e es
No con lic o in e es o be disclosed.
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