When do Child Support payments end in Puerto Rico?

Emancipation, or the legal process by which a minor is accelerated into majority of age, is enough to cease Child Support payments.

In Puerto Rico, minors can be emancipated from the age of 18, and if they are, then the obligation to provide for them ends, as they are considered for most legal purposes, adults.

Thank you for your question!!

¡Excelente pregunta! Un menor reside en donde su padre (o madre) custodia viva. En este caso, el menor adquirió residencia inmediata en Puerto Rico, y su derecho a pensión fue conferido automáticamente hasta la edad de 21 años. Al viajar a los EEUU para cursar estudios universitarios, el menor permanece como residente permanente de Puerto Rico, porque su estadía universitaria es con intención de regresar a Puerto Rico, que es en dónde vive su madre custodia. Por lo tanto, el término de 14 meses no influye en su determinación de residencia, ya que aún sigue siendo residente de Puerto Rico, y por ende tendrá derecho a pensión hasta los 21 años, o hasta que termine sus estudios, así lo solicita luego de cumplir los 21 años.

Mr. Santiago,

Thank you for your question. There is much confusion regarding the extension of Child Support after the age of 21. If the minor continues studying, and keeps a good GPA, the now adult minor can request an extension of Child Support benefits. This extension is not automatically carried over, and requires that the minor request the extension. On the other hand, if the non-custodial parent request a cessation of Child Support benefits, the now adult minor can contest the cessation by requesting the extension. Again, the extension, contrary to popular belief, is not AUTOMATIC, nor can it be requested by the custodial parent.

If the minor moves out, but is still under the age of 21, Child Support benefits do not cease, and the custodial parent still has a right to enforce collection of the Child Support benefits, regardless of whether the minor still resides in his/her home.

Hello and thank you for your question.

1. If the child is 18, it is still considered as a minor, regardless of bearing children. Only if the child is emancipated, by court, a notary or marriage, can child support payments cease. The child will continue to be considered as a minor in Puerto Rico until the age of 21.

2. If a 16 year-old child drops out of school, and the non-custodial parent acquires custody, then the non-custodial parent becomes the custodial parent, and can claim child support, or request that the child support payments cease for having acquired custody of the minor.

Please, do not hesitate in asking any additional questions, and again, thanks for reading this blog!

Gracias por su pregunta.

Definitivamente. El cómputo de pensión es calculado en base a la cantidad total de hijos. Si usted tiene más hijos, y/o obligaciones alimentarias con sus hijos en los Estados Unidos, puede solicitar una revisión de pensión en Puerto Rico. De esta manera, el monto de pensión en Puerto Rico será proporcional a la cantidad total de hijos que tenga.

No dude en comunicarse conmigo para este asunto, o si tiene más preguntas.

Is the custodial parent required to show proof of child attending school after the age of 18?

Thank you for your question. No, custodial parents are NOT required to show proof that the child is attending school after the age of 18. In fact, attending school is not a requirement to provide, or request, child support. The minor can choose not to attend school after the age of 18, can work, and can bear children, and the obligation to provide child support remains intact.

By law what’s consider a good gpa? What’s the requirement by law if the child is over 21 years old and still in college?

Thanks for your question. There is no specific GPA. The legal standard is that the minor is “advantageous” in college, and depends on every case.

The requirements for continuing child support after the age of 21 are:

1. That the minor received support before the age of 21.
2. That the minor began a subgraduate degree program before the age of 21.
3. That the minor continues this subgraduate degree program after the age of 21.
4. That the minor has “advantageous” progress in his/her studies.

If a minor qualifies for all four requirements, then the minor, now as an adult, can request the benefits to continue.

Kelli, Richard and Jessi: Thank you for your questions.

The logic behind the majority of age is simple in theory, but hard to accept. A minor, in other words, anyone under the age of 21, is legally incapable of many things. In addition to this incapacity, he/she is entitled to a certain number of rights, among these, he/she is entitled to receive child support.

Minority statutes are very common in many jurisdictions. A person under the age of 21, regardless of being in the military, bearing children on their own, moving out of their parent’s house, or any other number of circumstances, is legally barred from purchasing alcohol. It doesn’t matter where, or when, the minor attempts to purchase alcohol. He or she, by virtue of law, cannot do so.

This means that unless the minor is emancipated, or attains adulthood by virtue of marriage, he/she is entitled to receive child support until the age of 21. Period. Many tomes have been published on where this right stems from, but in synthesis, the right to receive child support has been granted constitutional hierarchy in Puerto Rico. It stems forth from the right to life, and it is granted through monetary means by the non-custodial parent.

There is a recent trend that has been granted sporadically by courts and ASUME. Parents who claim that a minor over the age of 18 is living an independent life outside of his/her home have been granted a stay in their obligation to provide child support. This sort of ruling, based on my experience, is both sporadic and arbitrary, and subject to the interpretation of the judge trying the case, and the circumstances of the minor’s separation from home.

Regardless, the basic rule stands. Minors are entitled to child support payments until the age of 21.

Saludos Eric Fernandez, y gracias por su pregunta. La pensión alimentaria NO CESA AUTOMATICAMENTE a la edad de 21 años. El padre no-custodio TIENE que solicitar que cese la misma proveyéndole el Certificado de Nacimiento al Tribunal o ASUME. Sólo entonces se ordena el cierre de la pensión, aunque aún se adeude una cantidad por cualquier atraso.

Es ESENCIAL el solicitar que cese la pensión porque de otra manera, continúa acumulándose indefinidamente o hasta que alguien se dé cuenta.

David, thank you for your questions.

I will answer them in the same order:

1. The use of child support by the custodial parent cannot be regulated. No conditions can be placed on the expenditure of these funds, nor can they be hindered in any way. It is against Puerto Rico public policy to regulate the use of child support, as it is the primary obligation of the custodial parent to provide care for the minor. Any wrongdoing on the custodial parent’s part towards the minor might constitute child abuse, but the non-custodial parent has absolutely no say in regards on how the money is spent.

2. As of today, there is no cap on child support calculations. Basic child support, which is the pillar of the child support obligation, is simply a mathematical calculation based on the non-custodial parent’s gross income. There is absolutely no cap, limit or maximum on this amount, as it exists in other jurisdictions. There are several legislative projects and movements to establish a cap, but as of yet, the law remains intact.

There is one exception, though. When the non-custodial parent admits financial capacity at the time of child support review, either through ASUME or Court, the child support is based exclusively on the minor’s expenses. This forbids any discovery of the non-custodial parent’s income or assets, and may hinder any attempt to sky-rocket the amount of basic child support.

I hope this answers your questions. Again, thank you for sharing your situation.