NO to Mandatory Co- Parenting in Bulgaria
With this petition, we oppose the introduction of radical amendments to the Family Code of Bulgaria, currently under discussion in the National Assembly.
These changes would impose mandatory 50/50 co- parenting by law, meaning that both parents would exercise parental rights and the child would be required to spend equal periods of time with each parent—regardless of whether they have agreed to such an arrangement or the child’s own will.
In practice, 50/50 co-parenting becomes mandatory after the separation or divorce of the parental couple.In the proposal submitted by the political group "There Is Such a People" (ITN), and passed at first reading, it is explicitly stated that:"The child's young age, geographical distance between the parents’ residences, and parental conflict are not sufficient grounds to rebut the presumption of shared parenting.
This means that:
It does not matter to lawmakers if one parent lives in Burgas and the other in Sofia—or even Prague;
It does not matter if the child is an infant;
It does not matter if there is deep and irreparable conflict between the parents;
It applies even in the presence of a history of domestic violence;
It applies regardless of whether both parents cared for the children during the marriage.These are only some of the problems and consequences if the proposed changes are adopted.Legal and psychological experts from our civic coalition have identified serious omissions and contradictions in the proposed bills.
These threaten the physical and psychological well-being of children and may lead to significant harm for both children and parents following divorce or separation.
If passed in their current form, the amendments will result in severe consequences for children, including:
● Children would be forced to change homes every week. Especially in early childhood, this risks the development of emotional insecurity and instability.
● Conditions would be created to abolish child support, as parenting would be considered automatically divided.
● These changes would increase opportunities for parental conflict and child manipulation, creating more pressure in already strained relationships. There is no legal mechanism to restore severely damaged parental relations without mandatory mediation and long-term psychological support.
● Every detail of the child’s upbringing would need to be negotiated, and in the absence of agreement, the courts would decide.
This creates the potential for institutional harassment—through courts, prosecutors, bailiffs, and child protection agencies—over decisions such as school choice, extracurricular activities, non-urgent medical procedures, and more.These are only a few of the possible consequences of the radical changes to the Family Code initiated by parliamentary groups GERB, ITN, and Vazrazhdane.
📌 More information is available on our official website:
👉 https://sites.google.com/view/goodforourkidsbg/
There you will also find our expert statements submitted to the National Assembly of Bulgaria.The Civic Coalition Against Mandatory Co- Parenting stands for the child's right to stability, safety, and emotional well-being, advocating for legislative solutions that prioritize the best interest of the child above formal parental equality.
✅ Achievements from March 1 to July 29, 2024:
🔹 We built a civic coalition including parents, clinical psychologists, lawyers, citizens, survivors of institutional abuse, and social policy experts.
🔹 We joined the informal national alliance "TOGETHER Against Violence", which brings together 37 NGOs working in the areas of child and women's protection, violence prevention, and institutional reform.
🔹 We contributed to a record-breaking total of over 150 expert submissions to Parliament.
🔹 We participated in:2 working group meetings of the Legal Affairs Committee,Discussions at the Committee on Demographic Policy, Children and Families,A roundtable hosted by GERB,A national forum organized by the Supreme Bar Council.In all forums, we expressed a clear, professional, and well-argued opposition to the proposed changes in their current form.
🔹 We organized 2 press conferences, 1 protest, and took part in numerous expert meetings and media appearances, despite the limited media interest in our position.
🔹 We created an informational website with expert documents and resources:
🔹 We built an active online community with over 4,696 followers and more than 536,000 views of our Facebook posts in the past three months—303,365 in the last month alone.
🔹 We supported dozens of parents who sought help regarding institutional pressure, court abuse, and attempts at alienation or loss of custody of their children.
🔜 What’s next:
➡️ We expect a second vote on the bills in the Legal Affairs Committee, followed by a plenary vote.
➡️ We will demand a complete overhaul of how psychological and psychiatric evaluations are conducted, including transparent diagnostic criteria, validated tools, and expert oversight—essential to reduce arbitrariness and ensure accuracy in decisions that affect human lives.
➡️ We will call for the removal of pseudo-scientific concepts, such as "Parental Alienation Syndrome", which are primarily used for abuse and secondary victimization. We also demand mandatory training for all professionals involved in family disputes.
➡️ We will push for a reform of Bulgaria’s social services and Child Protection Agency, insisting on unified, reliable criteria and real mechanisms for child protection.
➡️ We will insist on strengthening violence prevention mechanisms, including linking the Domestic Violence Protection Act (DVPA) with Family Code provisions, such as restriction or termination of parental rights in proven abuse cases.
➡️ We will expand our public information campaign to raise awareness about the gravity of these changes and the lack of adequate protective mechanisms in family law procedures.
➡️ We will continue to push for reforms that protect children—not formalize and escalate conflict between parents.
➡️ We will advocate for the careful assessment of family conflict, protection of victims, and consequences for those who perpetuate harm.
➡️ We are preparing an extensive public and institutional campaign, and we will need your support—through sharing, volunteering, or donations.
We demand every child’s right to predictability, safety, and emotional stability. Legislative changes concerning family disputes and parental rights must be based on empirical data, social reality, scientific validity, ethical practice, and international standards—not ideological dogma or narrow lobbying interests.
🧡 Stronger Together
This petition is only the beginning—amplified by real action. Alongside your voices, we added expert labor, solidarity, and a firm professional stance. We proved that a child is not a schedule, not a formula, and not a bargaining chip in parental disputes.
We continue our fight—stronger than ever—for:
A stable and secure childhood;
Recognition of real caregiving and parental presence;Legal and institutional protection from violence and manipulation;
Case-by-case assessment—not a one-size-fits-all model.
📣 Call to Action:
🖊 Sign and share the petition;
📢 Follow us on social media: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RazumnoSpodelenoRoditelstvo
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/razumnospodelenoroditelstvo/
💬 Contribute expertise, support, your voice—or a donation;
📌 Contact us if you need help.
👣 Let’s protect every child’s right to security, care, and freedom from coercion—together.
📌 Let us stop the abuse of Bulgaria’s legal and social systems and the lack of adequate protection in high-conflict custody cases.
📌 Because we believe that it is not formal equality, but conscientious parenting, that truly serves the best interest of the child.
#ChildrenHaveTheRightToSafety #NoToFamilyCodeChanges #BestInterestOfTheChild #TogetherAgainstViolence
Civil association against mandatory shared parenting Contact the author of the petition