Divorcing couples now have to join a one-month waiting list to file due to the “divorce wave” that has swept the country this year, Southern Metropolis Daily reports. Yuexiu District Marriage Registration Centre has had to introduce a cap of 30-divorces a day.

The divorce wave is thought to have been sparked by a new property tax that penalizes families with second homes. This is on top of the fact that divorces have increased seven years in a row as the country develops.

Mr Tan who lives in Haizhu District has expressed exasperation that he has to wait until June 7 to file for divorce. “I am divorcing for genuine reasons, so this is doubly annoying.”

According to the the Yuexiu District Civil Affairs Bureau Marriage Registry Minister, divorces have increased in recent months from 10 a day to 20-30 a day.

An official with Haizhu District Civil Affairs Bureau saw an up side to the situation. He said that couples who had come to the decision hastily would have a chance to think it through.

Many couples who go through the “fake divorces” intend to remarry. But one woman in Hunan decided she was happier being single after ending a 12-year marriage in reaction to the policy.