In France, at least one couple out of two breaks up; however, the institutional paths after marital dissolutions are increasingly diverse. As a result, the study of inequalities in access to public services and family justice, as well as the differentiation of social trajectories due to these family transitions, is essential. This article utilizes a novel database of 4,000 family cases from seven lower courts to analyze the intersections between class, gender, and territorial inequalities, with regard to waiting times, legal representation, and the use of expertise. Depending on their social status, on organizational patterns in the various courts, and on attorneys’ local markets, men and women who break up in metropolitan France have rather different experiences in family courts.
Keywords
- Class
- Gender
- Inequalities
- Lawyers
- Territory