Dilemmas faced by judges when granting marriage dispensations for child marriages in West Java, Indonesia.

This article examines the persistence of child marriage in Indonesia’s West Java province, focusing on the Tasikmalaya and Indramayu regencies, despite amendments to the Marriage Law that raised the minimum marriage age to 19 years. The law permits marriage dispensations under Article 7(2) for minors under certain conditions, such as premarital pregnancy, leading to a significant increase in dispensation applications and approvals by religious courts. Research finds that economic hardship, limited educational opportunities, and social norms contribute to child marriage, with judges facing dilemmas in balancing legal requirements and the best interests of children when granting dispensations. While Tasikmalaya has enacted regional regulations to prevent child marriage, implementation remains ineffective due to limited stakeholder collaboration and prevailing community attitudes; Indramayu lacks such regulations but conducts public education campaigns. The study suggests coordinated, multi-stakeholder strategies integrating education, health, and social awareness to reduce child marriage in these regions.