A divorce process is never easy, especially when there are children of a couple. That said, it is important for adults involved in a divorce process to be aware of certain essential points that will make the separation more harmonious for everyone involved.
How to request a divorce with children? How is child maintenance handled? What is the importance of parental mediation? These and other questions are answered below.
How to ask for a divorce with children
If the couple agrees on child custody, or the place where they will live, it is not necessary to go to court, and it is possible to request a divorce by mutual consent.
Divorce with young children: how to proceed
In cases where there are minor children, the agreement on parental responsibilities is sent to the public prosecutor's office, which has 30 days to review it.
If the public prosecutor requests changes to the agreement and the parents do not agree, the case proceeds to court.
Family mediation is a process where a neutral third party, the mediator, helps family members resolve disputes. It's particularly recommended when families are facing issues such as divorce, separation, child custody arrangements, or financial settlements. It can also be useful for resolving disputes between generations of a family.
The Family Mediation System (SMF) is based on resolving conflicts between the people involved in a case. This mediation is carried out by an impartial person, a mediator, whose aim is to make the entire process swift and smooth.
- To activate medication for family members, you can:
- Access the portal RAL+;
- By letter, addressed to the Directorate-General of Justice Policy;
- By email, to the address correio@dgpj.mj.pt;
- By telephone, on the number 808 2000.
What are the rights of children in a divorce?
Children's rights in the context of divorce are the same as a child's rights in any other situation. These are:
- Right to life;
- Right to health;
- Right to food;
- Right to leisure;
- Right to education;
- Right to liberty.
In the case of divorce, who gets the children?
In divorces, both parents have equal rights to child custody. This is not the case in situations where the child's welfare is at risk, such as in cases of abuse or domestic violence.
Parental responsibility in a divorce with minor children
In parental responsibility, the rights and duties are equal for both parents. This parental power lasts until the children reach the age of majority and have legal capacity.
After reaching adulthood, children can decide who they want to live with and already have another degree of independence regarding these and other choices.
Shared vs. sole custody
Within child custody, there are two types: shared and exclusive.
In shared custody, both parents of the children have parental responsibilities towards their children. However, sole custody occurs when there are exceptional circumstances where custody of the children remains solely with one of the parents.
Alimentary pension is defined as the value, in money or in kind, that is determined by a court or by agreement between the parties, to be paid by a person to another person who needs it for their upkeep.
The parent who has not been granted custody of the child is obliged to pay child maintenance. This maintenance includes provision for the child's sustenance, housing, clothing, and education.
In cases of divorce by mutual consent, maintenance is already included in the agreement at the Civil Registry Office.
In cases that go to court, this body decides who gets the alimony. The amount is agreed upon according to the child's needs and the parents' financial circumstances.
A pensão de alimentos em Portugal é calculada tendo em conta as necessidades do beneficiário e os meios económicos de quem tem de a prestar. A lei estabelece que a pensão deve ser fixada em quantia certa ou percentagem do rendimento do devedor, tendo em consideração, nomeadamente: **Necessidades do beneficiário:** * **Idade:** As necessidades de uma criança são diferentes das de um adolescente ou de um adulto. * **Estado de saúde:** Doenças ou deficiências podem implicar despesas adicionais. * **Educação e formação:** Custos com escola, material escolar, atividades extracurriculares, propinas, etc. * **Habitação:** Despesas com a casa onde o beneficiário vive. * **Vestuário e alimentação:** Necessidades básicas de subsistência. * **Lazer e cultura:** Atividades que contribuam para o desenvolvimento pessoal. **Meios económicos de quem presta alimentos:** * **Rendimento:** Salário, rendas, pensões, subsídios, lucros de atividade profissional, etc. * **Património:** Bens imóveis, veículos, investimentos. * **Despesas:** Outras obrigações financeiras que o devedor suporte (ex: outras pensões de alimentos, créditos, despesas com habitação própria). **Como é feito o cálculo na prática:** 1. **Acordo:** Em primeiro lugar, procura-se um acordo entre as partes. Se conseguirem chegar a um entendimento, este acordo pode ser homologado por um juiz ou por um conservador do registo civil, tornando-se vinculativo. 2. **Tribunal:** Caso não haja acordo, a decisão sobre o valor da pensão de alimentos é tomada por um tribunal. O juiz analisará todas as provas apresentadas e ponderará os fatores mencionados acima. 3. **Regra geral (quando há acordo dos pais sobre filhos):** Embora não seja uma regra fixa para todos os casos, é comum que, quando os pais chegam a acordo num divórcio ou separação judicial de pessoas casadas, se estabeleça a pensão de alimentos para os filhos num valor entre 10% a 30% do rendimento líquido do progenitor que não tem a guarda dos filhos, ajustado conforme as necessidades específicas da criança. **Importante:** * O valor da pensão de alimentos não é fixo e pode ser revisto sempre que houver uma alteração significativa nas necessidades do beneficiário ou nos meios económicos de quem presta os alimentos. * A pensão de alimentos abrange não só as necessidades da criança, mas também as do cônjuge (em caso de divórcio ou separação), pais idosos ou outros familiares com direito a alimentos nos termos da lei. Para uma situação específica, é sempre recomendável procurar aconselhamento jurídico de um advogado.
Alimony is calculated based on two points: the number of children and the financial circumstances of the parent responsible for paying the alimony.
For example, one child receives 20% in income, two children receive 30%, and three or more children receive 40%.
Friendly divorce with children, how long does it take?
An amicable divorce takes, on average, one to three months. The time this type of divorce takes is due to the understanding between the ex-spouses and the availability of appointments at the civil registry office.
And in contentious divorce?
The time a contested divorce, meaning one without mutual consent, takes is variable. However, this process can take up to two years.
At Lawyers in Braga We do our best to ensure that any divorce process is swift and with as little litigation as possible, protecting the interests and rights of those involved to the fullest extent.
I read about children of separated parents
Article 1906 of the Civil Code provides guidelines on various matters related to divorce, and the rights and duties of parents and children.
- It is explicit that children cannot be separated from their parents, except if the parents fail to fulfil their duties. This decision can only be taken through a judicial process.
- The court also decrees the visiting times, always taking into account the wishes of the younger ones.;
- The exercise of significant parental acts should fall to the parent with whom the child lives.
Conclusion
If there is a divorce by mutual agreement, where the children's parents agree on the terms of the divorce, the case does not need to go to court. However, in the case of a contentious divorce, meaning without agreement, there is already an obligation to go to court.
Everything happens in order to ensure the rights of children, which are based on the right to life, health, or education. For this reason, there is also child maintenance, where the parent who did not retain custody of the child must pay an amount that allows for the child's well-being.
Parental mediation emerges as an option for divorce without conflict of interests and in a harmonious manner.
