Separating reportedly allows one parent to switch address, circumventing a new ban on children attending schools outside their residential district. Meanwhile, other couples are apparently ending marriages to get around rules limiting the number of properties they can own. The issue came to a head in the city of Nanjing, where a surge in divorce applications prompted one registration office to impose a daily limit on the number it processes, writes the Beijing News . It argues: "The job of a marriage registration office is to serve the people. Divorce is a right to freedom. Restricting the number of divorces for any reason is an abuse of power."