Family LAW

Take a deep dive into Indonesia's

All information is based from December 16, 2025

FAMILY LAW in Indonesia..

silhouette of 2 women and man standing during sunset
silhouette of 2 women and man standing during sunset

has a dual-track system, with Islamic law applying to Muslims, civil, and adat (customary) law to non-muslims. It encompasses several aspects such as marriage, divorce, adoption, and inheritance. Key regulations include Law No. 1 of 1974 that defines marriage, as well as other regulations that include child custody, inheritance law, and child paternity.

  • Indonesia’s early family laws were heavily influenced by Dutch Civil Law (Burgerlijik Wetboek).

  • Marriage rules were later separated and formalized under the Marriage Law of 1974, which unified national standards for marriage and divorce.

  • The Kompilasi Hukum Islam (1991) introduced specific family laws for Muslim families, such as marriage registration, dowry rules, inheritance, and divorce procedures.

  • Over time, Indonesian family law has continued to modernize, especially regarding child protection, women’s rights, and marriage age regulations.

  1. Equality in marriage: Both husband and wife hold equal rights and responsibilities

  2. Best interests of the child: Custody and parental rights prioritize the child’s welfare

  3. Marriage age and legal capacity: Minimum marriage age is 19 years old for both males and females

  4. Religious validity and state registration: A marriage must be religiously valid and registered by the state to obtain legal recognition.

woman in gold dress holding sword figurine
woman in gold dress holding sword figurine

background/historical overview

key principles

red and black flag on pole
red and black flag on pole
A bookshelf displays several antique, arabic-script books.
A bookshelf displays several antique, arabic-script books.
brown concrete pillars indoors
brown concrete pillars indoors

Family law may seem far away for many teens, but it actually affects modern Indonesian youth in everyday life, especially in relationships, identity, responsibilities, and online life.

relevance to the youth

main ways Indonesian FAMILY law connects to modern youth:

1.Relationship and Legal Age

Under UU No. 16/2019 the marriage age is 19, which protects young people from marriage pressures and ensures that major decisions are made with stability.


books on brown wooden shelf
books on brown wooden shelf

2. Child Protection and Parental Authority:

Youth under 18 fall under the Child Protection Law or UU Perlindungan Anak, and family law rules on custody, guardianship, and parental responsibility discuss the right to education, support, and protection.


a silhouette of a man and a woman holding a baby
a silhouette of a man and a woman holding a baby

3. Financial Support Obligations

According to Article 321 and 330 KUHPerdata, adult children must support their parents, and minors must be financially supported by parents until adulthood (21 years old), unless married earlier.


1 U.S.A dollar banknotes
1 U.S.A dollar banknotes

Family Law Cases in Indonesia

This section presents a list of family law case examples involving youth in Indonesia to illustrate how legal provisions are applied in practice.

gold wedding band on white textile
gold wedding band on white textile

Underage Marriage Prevention (Lombok, 2022)

A 16 year old girl in Lombok was arranged for marriage. Her family requested a marriage dispensation from the Religious Court. The court rejected the request, stating that early marriage threatened education and health, supporting the “best interests of the child” principle.

three children holding hands standing on grasses
three children holding hands standing on grasses

Teenager Applies for Child Support Enforcement (Jakarta, 2022)

A 15 year old student filed a claim because her father stopped paying mandatory child support after the divorce. Under UU 1/1974 Pasal 45, parents must financially support children until adulthood. The court ordered the father to resume monthly payments and pay arrears totaliing several months.

Further Readings

  • Marriage Law (UU No. 1 Tahun 1974, amended by UU/16/2019

https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Home/Details/123227/uu-no-1-tahun-197

  • Child Protection Law (UU No. 35 Tahun 2014)

https://peraturan.bpk.go.id


Works Cited