Child Support
From now on, it is a
must for judges to
define child support
based on the real income
of the parent paying it
and the needs of the
spouse and children. The
spouse is included
because child support
and alimony are combined
in Costa Rican law.
The measure was adopted
after the Constitutional
Court granted a habeas
corpus to businessman
Jonathan Lambert, who
was imprisoned for 52
days because he was
unable to pay child
support initially
established at about
us$1,900 a month, an
amount far beyond his
actual means.
According to official
sources, 113 people are
currently imprisoned for
failure to pay child
support, and many of the
cases are not different
from Lambert’s, an issue
which authorities aim at
addressing.
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