Child support (contribution maintenance)

Child support is the contribution the parent not holding custody makes, according to their means, to the child's care, education and health expenses after divorce. The entitlement belongs to the child, with the custodial parent receiving the payments on the child's behalf.

The judge weighs the child's needs together with both parents' living conditions and capacity to pay, and orders support of their own motion even without a request. Increase actions are frequent as education costs grow with age, and the judgment may fix the rate of increase for future years.

The obligation ends as a rule when the child reaches majority; where education continues, it persists by law until the education is completed, with the adult child claiming the support in their own name. Enforcement proceedings and coercive detention are available here as well for unpaid amounts.