從服務型契約法理看婚姻媒合契約：以媒合者之說明及調查義務和契約終止為中心

A Study on Legal Issues of Marriage Matchmaking: Focusing on the Legal Principles of Service Contracts

本文聚焦於近年於我國社會漸次普及的婚姻媒合服務，首先指出婚姻媒合服務和我國民法上想像的婚姻居間已相形甚遠，婚姻媒合服務宜定性為委任，並作為委任的下位型態「服務型契約」加以解釋。經過對我國實務之考察，本文找出目前國內婚姻媒合服務最常發生的2種爭議，第一是「媒合者就媒合對象的資訊是否負調查義務、媒合者應負之說明義務的內容為何」，第二是「服務利用者任意終止之要件和效果為何」。本文於參考日本法的發展後，指出服務型契約有「債務內容抽象性高」、「服務提供者和利用者掌握的資訊差距大」、「契約履行重視服務利用者的主觀滿足和個人需求」等特徵，並基於服務型契約之法理，對於上述2個問題提出回答：第一，國內婚姻媒合之媒合者僅負誠實傳達義務，跨國（境）婚姻之媒合者則應對於「會直接影響受媒合者共同經營家庭生活」之客觀事實負調查義務。第二，民法第549條第1項之任意終止權，於婚姻媒合契約上應解為有利於服務利用者之片面強行規定，終止權行使後媒合者僅能保有「相當於已接受服務之對價」和「合理的損害賠償」，且為免架空任意終止權之規定，對後者宜以立法明定計算方式和最高限額。

This article focuses on the increasingly prevalent marriage matchmaking services in Taiwanese society in recent years. Firstly, it points out that marriage matchmaking services have significantly diverged from the concept of“marriage brokerage”as imagined under Taiwanese civil law. It suggests that marriage matchmaking services should be categorized as a form of“mandate”and explained as a subtype of ''service contracts.''
After examining Taiwanese court judgments, this article identifies two of the most common disputes related to marriage matchmaking services. The first dispute concerns whether matchmakers have a duty to investigate the information of the introduced potential spouse and to what extent matchmakers should bear the duty of explanation. The second dispute involves the legal conditions and effects of service users’unilateral right to terminate the contract.
Referencing developments in Japanese law, the article points out that service contracts have the following characteristics: ''the content and the obligation of the contract are highly abstract,'' ''the information gap between service providers and users is significant'' and ''the user's subjective satisfaction is important during the performance of the contract.'' Based on these characteristics and the principles of service contracts, this article offers suggestions for answers to the aforementioned two issues:
1. Domestic matchmakers are only obligated to convey information honestly, while matchmakers involved in international marriages should bear a duty to investigate the objective facts that will directly affect the family life of the matched parties. 2. The right of unilateral termination under Taiwanese Civil Code Article 549, Paragraph 1 should be interpreted in favor of service users in marriage matchmaking contracts, as a unilateral mandatory provision. After exercising the termination right, the matchmaker can only retain ''payment equivalent to the services already provided'' and ''reasonable compensation for damages.'' To prevent undermining the right of unilateral termination, the calculation method or maximum limit for the latter should be specified through legislation.