Pulse este enlace para calcular su pensión alimentaria.

Let’s start off by clearing up the main difference:

In Puerto Rico, there’s physical and legal custody. Physical custody entails having physical control over the minors. Legal custody is the right that all parents have to assert physical custody.  Both parents have legal custody in equal measure, unless a court states otherwise. Physical custody can only be shared if both parents live together. Parents don’t always live together, so when they don’t, only one parent has physical custody.

Good, now that we’ve cleared that up, let’s complicate things.

Case #1

Let’s start with the first case.  Mom leaves her two kids with their paternal grandmother to attend a rehab program in the US, with the promise that she’ll return for them when she completes the program.  She completes the program only to find that Grandma has filed for legal custody in PR.  The written temporary custody agreement signed between both has magically disappeared.  Mom wants physical custody back, and counters the suit by claiming legal custody.

Thankfully, Grandma failed to summon Mom correctly, and failed to sue Dad (who’s in jail).  Round one is over in just a few months.  Now it’s time for Round 2.

Mom hires me, and sues Grandma and Dad for legal custody, and Mom summons both correctly.  The court orders a Social Worker to evaluate which of the three parties has a better chance at raising the kids.  Dad files for custody, although he’s still in jail. The kids are still with Grandma, but Mom is growing desperate.  Mom calls me and asks: “What if I simply fly to Puerto Rico, pick my kids up, and leave?”

Well, you can’t steal your own kids. The court hasn’t granted anyone temporary custody, or prevented the kids from leaving Puerto Rico. I say “Sure, take the kids out for a ride, and hop on a plane.” It’s not parental kidnapping, unless there’s a custody order in place. Mom, very nervously, travels to PR, picks her kids up at Grandma’s and hops on the next plane out of PR.

Was this parental kidnapping? Did I just collaborate with a mother who kidnapped her children? Nope. The court never ordered temporary custody, so Mom always had legal custody, unless stated otherwise.

The social worker completes her report. It took two years to complete it, and recommends that the children stay with Mom in the US. The court accepts the Social Worker’s recommendation, and grants Mom full legal custody. Thankfully, this only took two years.  Mom and the kids are living a very happy, balanced and drama-free life in the US.

Case #2

Mom and Dad meet, fall in love and get married. Mom lives in the states, Dad lives in Puerto Rico. They met while travelling. Mom travels frequently to PR, Dad travels frequently to the US.  Mom finds out she’s pregnant. Dad makes arrangements to have Mom move to PR with the baby. Mom landes a great job in the US, and can’t move to PR. Mom has baby in the US, and Dad flies out to see the baby. Their relationship deteriorates, and they break up.

When the baby is four months old, Dad asks Mom to let him see the baby. Dad arrives in the US, and visits Mom. Dad asks Mom to spend the afternoon with the baby. Mom hesitates, but thinks that Dad should spend time with the baby. She pumps a few bottles of breast milk, and packs a light bag for Dad. Dad leaves with the baby.

Dad hops on a plane, flies to PR and calls Mom. He tells Mom that if she wants to see the baby, she’ll have to come to PR. Mom freaks out.

Mom runs to the police, files a report. Mom runs to court, files for emergency custody. Mom is granted full temporary custody, and the court orders the baby needs to return. Mom then calls me, and hires me to enforce the court order in Puerto Rico. I soon discover that this court order is basically useless in Puerto Rico.

I file in court to enforce the US order in Puerto Rico. The court orders that an “emergency” hearing will be held in two months. Two months is a long time for a breastfeeding four month old.  I push for a quicker hearing. Four motions later, the court schedules the hearing for a month away.

I have a civil arrest warrant against Dad, issued in the US. I call the police. They tell me that they can’t enforce a bench warrant, and I’m given the run-around. I then proceed to call everyone I know.

I call the US State Department, the FBI, the Departamento de la Familia, Emergencias Sociales, INTERPOL, the PR Department of State, Special Arrests and Extraditions for the PR Police, the local District Attorney’s office, the US District Attorney’s office, and I speak to approximately 70-80 employess, District Attorneys, Special Agents, supervisors and government agents in total. No one can help.  That’s when I’m convinced that PR is a safe haven for parental kidnappers.

Had there been a custody order in place, and Dad had violated it, the story would have been different.  But Dad did not commit parental kidnapping, just like in Case #1.  He just came to Puerto Rico with his baby.  That’s not the scary thing. The scary thing is that now we had a custody order and an arrest warrant, and both were totally useless in Puerto Rico. There is absolutely nothing we could have done to enforce them in Puerto Rico.

The court stated that it was up to the police to enforce the warrant, and the police and DA’s office said that it was up the Puerto Rico court to order the arrest. A proverbial Catch 22.

With a little finesse, negotiations and unrelenting legal pressure, Dad finally gave up and handed the baby over to Mom.  Mom happily left to the US, never to return again to Puerto Rico. I don’t blame her. In fact, I told her never to come back.

So, what’s the moral of both stories?

Simple, always make sure you have a custody order granting you legal custody before your give up physical custody. Without an order, you can’t enforce the other parent to return the child.  Verbal custody agreements do not exist. Private custody agreements are completely useless.  Only a court order can be enforced, and even then, your chances are still very slim.  Be very, very careful.

Si el municipio quería mitigar los daños de la mala publicidad, logró todo lo contrario. Los medios lo atacaron por todos los flancos, y me alegra muchísimo reportar que hemos vencido al enemigo.

El enemigo es la ignorancia, y la opresión gubernamental. Sí, es cierto. Todos los derechos tienen límites, y pueden regularse. Pero ese “risco resbaladizo” hay que andarlo con mucho cuidado. La lógica indica que las libertades de un pueblo son inversamente proporcionales a las leyes que las rigen. Opino que nuestro país está sobre legislado, sobre regulado, y sobre reprimido, como para continuar inventando leyes que en su práctica son imprácticas.

Finalmente, ganamos. ¡Vencimos! Salimos victoriosos en contra de la ignorancia, la paranoia cibernética y la reglamentación gubernamental. El Honorable Alcalde sintió la presión, tanto mediática, como política y sucumbió. Continuaremos velándolo, por si se le ocurre una idea tan brillante como esta en un futuro.

El Nuevo Día reportó el resultado de la guerra de Mayagüez vs. Bloggeros. Bloggeros 1, Mayagüez 0.

Pulse este enlace para leer la noticia.

How do I File for Divorce in Puerto Rico?

While the author probably had the best intentions, there are a number of very worrisome mistakes with the information provided.  I have my doubts as to whether the author is admitted as an attorney in Puerto Rico, and handles family law.

Here’s a quick list of the mistakes I found:

“Because legal filings can be complex, if you intend to file pro se, consider investing in a software package designed to advise you on the proper forms and filing requirements for your situation. The U.S. District Court for Puerto Rico does not provide legal forms or advice.”

“File your divorce petition with the U.S. District Court for Puerto Rico. If you hired a lawyer, your lawyer will file the petition for you.”

First of all, I have yet to see a software package for legal forms in Puerto Rico. Court filings need to be drafted from scratch, and court forms are not exactly allowed. Perhaps there’s a software vendor selling Puerto Rico Court Forms, and if there is, please contact me. I’d love to see them.

Secondly, and most importantly, the U.S. District Court for Puerto Rico does NOT handle domestic matters. They don’t handle divorce cases, or anything related to local family law. The case must be filed in the “Tribunal de Primera Instancia”, which is the local court. Each district has its own Family Court.

If you need a lawyer, look for one with experience with divorces in Puerto Rico. Ask for recommendations, or contact the Puerto Rican Bar Association, www.prba.net, for help.

The Puerto Rico Bar Association, or Colegio de Abogados de Puerto Rico is the main association for attorneys. The website listed on the article is for the NEW YORK STATE Puerto Rican Bar Association, and has absolutely no relation to Puerto Rico. In fact, it says so on the website. It’s members are admitted to the New York bar, not Puerto Rico.

The website for the real Puerto Rico Bar Association is http://www.capr.org/.

You may be able to serve the papers yourself, or you may need to hire a professional process server.

Puerto Rico law forbids service of summons personally. If you serve the summons yourself, that is grounds for dismissal of the lawsuit. It’s a costly mistake that can be avoided easily, but the article fails to disclose this.

If your spouse does not agree to divorce, if you have complicated financial assets or children, or if one spouse requests alimony, you will need a hearing before a judge before divorce will be granted.

There is no such thing as “alimony” in Puerto Rico. There’s a type of support called “Pensión Ex-Cónyuge”, but the requirements are totally different than alimony.

And finally, my favorite mistake:

Wait for your court hearing, if a court hearing is necessary.

All divorce cases in Puerto Rico require a hearing. Always. There’s no way around it. From Mutual Consent, all the way to Cruel Treatment. A hearing is an undeniable requirement of all divorce cases. Always.

This just proves that you can’t completely rely on the information that is out there on the Internet. This especially applies even more so to legal matters. The author might have had great intentions, but if you follow his advice, you’ll have disastrous results. It’s always better to check up on your sources, and consult legal counsel. It’s best to consult with legal counsel who actually knows about divorces.

Well, I’m glad to report that it’s back.

Law Number 192 of 2011 was approved, and with it, both Mutual Consent and Irreparable Rupture were added to the Puerto Rico Civil Code as two new causes for divorce.

Please click on this link to view the new law in Spanish.

Now, Mutual Consent was approved in 1978, many years ago, through another Supreme Court case, but it had never been officially adopted to the PR Civil Code. In fact, it only took the Puertorrican legislative branch 33 years to change the Civil Code. Not the quickest legislative response to a Supreme Court case, but it was finally added.

So, what’s the difference between Mutual Consent and Irreparable Rupture? Here’s the low down:

Mutual Consent is a co-joint petition filed by both spouses. Both spouses sign and file the petition together. It does not require serving a summons. All the details of the divorce, properties, debts and matters related to minors (custody, parental visitation and child support) must be included. This means that ALL the properties and debts, and their division, MUST be outlined in the petition.

The case goes to one hearing, and if there are minors involved, the child support must be reviewed by a court examiner. The judgment that is issued distributes and disposes of all the communal property and once 30 days have passed since the court issues the judgment, the marriage is dissolved. Both spouses return to being single again.

Irreparable Rupture is an adversative lawsuit. It requires only one spouse to file a lawsuit against the other spouse, and the filing spouse must serve the summons to the other spouse. No specific reason for a divorce is required. The filing spouse only needs to want to divorce the other spouse, and therefore cannot be obligated to remain married. Both parties do not need to agree to get a divorce.

Once the filing spouse (called the Plaintiff), serves the summons, the other spouse (called the Defendant), has 30 days to accept or deny the filing. Not wanting to get divorced is not a reason to oppose the lawsuit.

Once the 30 days are up, a hearing will be scheduled, and one that happens, the marriage is dissolved. Again, the only reason the Plaintiff needs is “Because I want to.”, and nothing can obligate that spouse to remain married.

All the other related matters, such as communal property, and matters pertaining minors, do not need to be included. They can be included, but are not required.

So, that changes everything. Before this, a spouse needed a specific reason to obtain a divorce. Now, a spouse only needs to want to not be married.

Mientras compraba un refresco en una gasolinera, me topé con el periódico La Estrella de Puerto Rico, que leía claramente:

Intrigado por el titular de su primera página, y como buen “bloggero” que soy, decidí leer el artículo.  Resulta que el Municipio de Mayagüez, en su eterna sapiencia fiscal y administrativa, ha dedicado parte de su presupuesto para “contratar personal que pueda identificar a personas que hacen “mal uso” de las redes sociales “para afectar la imagen de funcionarios del gobierno municipal”.”

Aquí puede descargar una copia de la Resolución de la Ordenanza Municipal.: Resolucion-Mordaza-Muninipio-Mayaguez.pdf

Al parecer, al Honorable Alcalde y su Asamblea Municipal le preocupan que personajes inescrupulosos que habitan anónimamente el Internet opinen sobre su desempeño municipal.  Quizás sería útil el repasar la Constitución del ELA, y su interpretación jurisprudencial antes de intentar suprimir mediante “censura previa”, o dedicar tiempo, esfuerzo y dinero en una encomienda tan inútil.

Por si acaso, aquí la porción que más me interesa resaltar:

Artículo II, Sección 4:

Sección 4. Libertad de palabra y de prensa; reunión pacifica; petición para reparar agravios.

No se aprobará ley alguna que restrinja la libertad de palabra o de prensa o el derecho del pueblo a reunirse en asamblea pacífica y a pedir al gobierno la reparación de agravios.

La libertad de expresión es un pilar constitucional por una razón. Es uno de los cimientos de toda sociedad democrática y civilizada, y si al municipio le preocupa tanto que mancillen su estelar desempeño, quizás podrían dedicar esos mismos recursos contratando una firma publicitaria, y no utilizar el afilado intelecto legislativo para investigar y “carpetear” a sus constituyentes y, de paso, suprimir un derecho democrático fundamental.

Y por si surgiese cualquier duda sobre mi identidad, mi nombre es Lcdo. Christian M. Frank Fas.  Caborrojeño por nacimiento, y Mayagüezano por adopción.  Mi información personal es totalmente verificable, y no soy otro ente anónimo del Internet.  Opino que hay Ordenanzas Municipales malas, y luego está esta.  Si no quieren que la oposición lance lodo (“mudslinging” en inglés), no ostenten cargos políticos.  Eso es Ciencia Política básica.  Y hagan su trabajo, que es servir al pueblo. No reprimirlo mediante legislación. Nada más, y nada menos.

Esto le permite al conductor el imprimir la licencia, que por razones de economía el Departamento ha dejado de enviar por correo, y proceder a inspeccionar el vehículo y comprar el marbete en las colecturías, instituciones bancarias y centros de inspección.  Luego de inspeccionado el vehículo, puede comprar su marbete en los siguientes bancos:  Banco Popular, First Bank y Banco Bilbao Vizcaya (BBVA).

Pulse este enlace para acceder al portal del DTOP.

Esta noticia será recibida con beneplácito por todos los que detestamos hacer las filas kilométricas en el DTOP, y provee una forma rápida y económica al tan detestado trámite de renovación de marbetes.

Carlos Ramos, Efrén Rivera Ramos y Carlos Gorrín Peralta dialogaron ante una muy concurrida audiencia de abogados y público en general.  

Aquí la transmisión en vídeo de la actividad:

1.  You will need each of the heir’s original Birth Certificates.

2. You will need the decedent’s original Death Certificate.

3. You will need a Negative Will Certification.

5. If the decedent died while married, you will need his/her original Marriage Certificate.

6. You will need a notarized Statement Under Oath that the information on the Petition is the truth.

7. You will need $65.00 in “Sellos de Rentas Internas”.

8. You will need to file the Petition and a project of the Resolution, or judgment, in court.

Please remember that all these documents MUST BE IN ORIGINAL, OR CERTIFIED COPIES. The court will NOT accept photocopies, unless there are extreme circumstances.

DISCLAIMER: Please don’t ask me for a model or boilerplate form for a Declaration of Heirs.  I would be glad to send you one, but the ethical risks of sending a non-client legal documents are far too great.  Call Pro Se, instead.

1. Time is your best friend.

We often hear that “Time is an attorney’s best friend.”, but when it comes to child support matters, it’s also your best friend.  Acting quickly can make or break a case. It can be the difference between “adequate representation” and “damage control”.  If you get a letter from ASUME (the Puertorrican Child Support Administration), don’t wait a few months to look for help. It won’t go away, and it’ll only get worse.  Jump right on it, and make sure that if you can’t handle it on your own, ask for help.  Help out there, but you need to look for it.

2. Be very, very, VERY careful when you fill out that PIPE.

A PIPE is the standard financial information form for all child support cases.  It comes both in Spanish and English, and it’s as complicated and as cryptic as government forms get.  There are literally HUNDREDS of small spaces to outline your financial situation: income, expenses, dependents, people living in your household, etc.  Do NOT grab a pen and start hacking away at it. The instructions aren’t really that clear, and the form in English has none. Again, look for help. Ask before completing it, and DO NOT file it unless you have an attorney check it out before you do. Unless, of course, you’ve filled out many of them. Even so, have an attorney take a look at it. After all, it is under oath, so a voluntary mistake can become a crime in the long run.

3. Your expenses might become your income.

Child Support in Puerto Rico is calculated based on either your gross, after-tax income, or your EXPENSES.  Yes, you read right. Your expenses.  The logic behind this is that if you’re spending it, you must be making it somehow.  Many of us live well beyond our means.  We stretch our budget, we take out loans, we refinance our homes, and sometimes we just survive. Spending money is NOT necessarily proof that you’re making it.  It just means that your finances might be off, or that your economic situation is in bad shape.  But, if you fill out your PIPE wrong, and you put down every single expense you’ve ever paid, your child support is going to sky-rocket.  And then, you’ll just have another debt to rack up.

4. Keep good records of EVERYTHING.

You might consider this tip as “common sense”, but when dealing with Child Support, it goes well beyond that.  Before, during and after your child support review or modification, keep records of EVERYTHING.  Cancelled checks, money order stubs, bank account statements and receipts are your best friends when it comes to determining your child support.  Government records are notorious for being off.  Sometimes, you will need to correct these records.  If you keep better records than ASUME (and we know you do), it’ll be easy to prove that you’ve paid throughout the years.  If you send ASUME a letter, send it through Certified Mail with Return Receipt.  Keep a copy of the letter, keep a copy of the receipt, and keep a copy of the reply.  That way, you can prove that you HAVE been in touch.  If you call over the telephone, which I’ve always thought was a very bad idea when dealing with government agencies in Puerto Rico, keep a record of the date, the time you called, who you spoke with, and what you talked about.  I know it sounds a little extreme, but it’s better to have this and not need it, than to need it and not have it.  Think of it as a your child support safety net.

5. Make sure EVERYONE has your postal address.

All ASUME and court child support communications are sent to the “last known address of record”.  If you move, and never tell them that you did, they’ll just keep sending letters to your old address.  Some of these letters might be to let you know that they’ll increasing your child support payments, or they’ll be garnishing your wages, or your income tax return.  Every single time you move, make sure you tell ASUME. Make sure they GET the letter.  Keep a record of your letter (see step 4 above), and if a few months pass by, and you don’t receive anything from ASUME, worry.  And then, send them a letter with your address.

This isn’t a sure fire list to guarantee that everything works perfectly during your child support case in Puerto Rico.  It’s just a few tips based on my daily practice that you can consider an ounce of prevention, and maybe save you a few headaches along the way.

The truth is that it is the responsibility of the heirs to divide the estate.

The executor’s rights, responsibilities and obligations are usually outlined in the testament. Anything not covered by the testament is outlined in the Puerto Rico Civil Code. While it may be true that an heir can named as an executor, or executrix, other heirs have the right to divide the estate whenever they wish to do so.

It’s up to the heirs to request that the estate be divided or not. Heirs can also choose to remain as co-owners of the undivided estate, or to divide assets according to the testament, but it is NOT the executor’s responsibility to divide the estate.

In order to be considered “married” in our jurisdiction, you need to have formally married either in Puerto Rico, or elsewhere.  Legal formalities of marriage are required in order to be considered married, and a marriage certificate is the best proof of a legal marriage.
Oftentimes, people will call themselves married, or other people may consider a couple who have been living together for many years as “married”, but when you take a closer look, they really aren’t.
While it is local custom to call partners “married” in order to avoid inquiring into their personal life, unless they have actually married, the supposed spouse cannot claim any legal rights as a true spouse, or a widow or widower.  Examples of these rights are communal property and widower’s usufruct.

In simple terms, a valid marriage in Puerto Rico requires a celebration or legal formality.

This doesn’t mean that a lifelong partner has absolutely no rights, but the type of rights he or she can claim vary significantly than those of a true spouse.

Este artículo fue inspirado por otro artículo publicado en Blawgit.com, del abogado Brett Trout. Pulse aquí para ver el artículo original.

Pocas cosas son más frustrantes para un abogado que verse obligado a renunciar a su representación legal a mitad de un caso contencioso.  La práctica de la abogacía está altamente regulada por varias instituciones y disposiciones legales, y responde a los Cánones de Ética, pero en ningún lugar se discute cómo ha de comportarse una persona como cliente.

He aquí una lista de las formas para garantizar que usted se quede sin abogado de la forma más rápida posible.

Hago una cierta salvedad:

Este artículo fue inspirado por dos sucesos recientes. El primero fue un cliente que me contrató, y luego me despachó diciéndome que “Abogados hay de más por ahí.” Jamás consiguió a otro abogado, quizás porque yo era el quinto que contrataba. Esta semana me llegó su sentencia desestimando con perjuicio su caso. Un caso excelente, pero con un cliente como él, garantizaba ser un desastre.

El segundo suceso fue un cliente que me contrató recientemente, y luego mágicamente desapareció. Ahora estoy a mitad de un proceso legal en su caso, y me arriesgo a recibir sanciones porque mi cliente no aparece.

Si usted maltrata a su abogado, o lo trata con desprecio, o abusa de su confianza, de seguro andará buscando representación legal prontamente.  He aquí mi lista de las cosas que usted puede hacer para garantizar que le renuncie prontamente:

Miéntame.

Cuando usted me contrata, le ampara un privilegio de confidencialidad.  Los cánones de ética que regulan la práctica de la abogacía impiden que divulgue sus secretos, más aún si son perjudiciales para su representación legal.  Mientras más información yo tenga, mejor será mi representación.  Pocas experiencias son peores que descubrir a última hora que la parte contraria tiene conocimiento de información perjudicial, sabiendo que con tiempo pudimos haber conocido de ella, y quizás impugnarla.  No le retenga información a su abogado, hasta el más mínimo detalle podría ser importante, y dificilmente me soprenderá.  Si lo hace, de seguro necesitará otro abogado pronto.

Tárdese en pagar.

Tardar más de 30 días en pagar su factura no es garantía de que su abogado le renuncie, pero tampoco ayuda. Si usted tiene una pregunta legítima sobre su factura, contáctelo inmediatamente. Si usted espera a que su abogado le contacte para resolverlo, parecerá que es una táctica para dilatar el pago, en vez de una discrepacia genuina.  Llámelo, pregunte, y resuelva.  Rápidamente.  Así ambos se benefician.

Sea maniático con su factura.

No me refiero a disputas genuinas, o errores, sino a escudriñar detalles nímeos de su factura. Increpar el porqué tardó más en cierto documento, o en alguna llamada telefónica o gestión garantizará la mala voluntad de su abogado. Si tiene preguntas sobre su factura, llámelo y discútalas. Todos metemos la pata. Si fue un error, lo resolveré sin problema. Si me pregunta por qué tardé dos horas en una simple carta, quizás no fue tan simple, y necesité buscar en tres tomos y dos tratados para redactar cuatro párrafos.

Sea descortés.

Aunque usted no lo crea, los abogados somos personas normales también. Nuestros hijos se enferman, nuestras mascotas mueren, también nos atoramos en tráfico y nuestras esposas nos exigen que pasemos más tiempo con ellas. Extiéndale la misma cortesía que le extiende al resto del mundo, y se lo agradeceremos eternamente. Mientras mejor trate a su abogado, mejor su abogado le tratará. Imagínese, que tengo clientes que aunque perdí miserablemente sus casos, me llaman para saber cómo estoy. Esos podrían llamarme a las 2am, y cogería el teléfono con beneplácito.

Llámeme fuera de horas laborables.

Aunque recibo llamadas fuera de horas laborables, casi siempre resultan ser emergencias. Si usted descubre un problema genuino, su abogado debería proveerle formas para poder llamarlo fuera de horas laborables. No existe una regla específica para esto, y todo el mundo tiene una percepción diferente de lo que constituye una emergencia. Algunos casos responden a horarios diferentes, y tienen necesidades diferentes. Algunos clientes trabajan a horas diferentes, o viven en zonas diferentes.  Afortunadamente, podrá saber si su llamada es urgente o no por el tono de mi voz.

Requiera todo inmediatamente.

Algunos casos requieren acción inmediata. Si usted cree que su caso necesitará acción inmediata, dígaselo a su abogado. Su abogado le dirá si puede proveer este tipo de servicio inmediato, y cuánto le costará adicionalmente. Por otro lado, hay trámites que están fuera de nuestro control. No podemos acelerarlos, porque si pudiéramos, lo haríamos. Sea paciente con el sistema, y con nosotros.

Desaparezca.

Su abogado recibe mucha correspondencia por usted. A veces, tienen fechas límites. Cuando su abogado trate de llamarle, esté disponible. De lo contrario, pasarán estas fechas, y de seguro algo se complicará. Así, todo saldrá más caro, y su abogado lucirá mal…y pronto necesitará otro abogado.

Ignore mis consejos.

No siempre tenemos la razón, pero si no le gusta lo que le sugerimos, dígalo, pero no busque a otro abogado. Pocas cosas molestan más a los abogados que consultar a varios abogados para obtener un consenso general. Si no es feliz con nuestros consejos, podemos ajustar nuestra táctica legal para ajustarse a sus necesidades. No todos los casos tienen la misma solución. Pero, si escoge una ruta, no cambie de ruta a última hora. De seguro necesitará a otro abogado, y ninguno de los que consultó tomará su caso.

Tristemente, los clientes suelen no darse cuenta que los problemas con su abogado eran subsanables hasta que intentan buscar a otro abogado. No hay una regla escrita, pero siempre nos preocupan los clientes que han pasado su caso de abogado en abogado. Por lo general, algo anda mal. Uno no sabe lo que tiene hasta que lo pierde.

La clave de todo es la comunicación. La gran mayoría de las veces, las desavenencias pueden arreglarse hablando. Una conversación abierta y honesta entre ambas partes es la clave para una relación abogado-cliente efectiva.

What is a disinheritance?

A disinheritance is the act by which a testator deprives a forceful heir from his or her legitimate portion of the estate, for a specific reason outlined in the Puerto Rico Civil Code. It is a resource provided by law to exclude a forceful heir from the estate when the heir has committed specific acts agains the testator.

Only forceful heirs can be disinherited, and they can only be disinherited by drafting a testament.

1. What are the requirements to disinherit an heirThat there is a forceful heir, such as a descendant, or ascendant. Only forceful heirs can be disinherited. The testator cannot disinherit someone who does not inherit to begin with.
2. The heir must have committed a specific action against the testator, and that action must be one of the outlined reasons or causes for disinheritance. Only then can he or she be deprived of their legitimate portion of the estate. (Article 773, 31 L.P.R.A. § 2451)
3. The action, and its cause for disinheritance by law, must be clearly expressed in the testament.
4. The name and identity of the heir must be clearly stated in the testament. (Article 775, 31 L.P.R.A. § 2453).

Exception: If the disinherit forceful heir contest the disinheritance after the testator dies, the remaining heirs have the burden of proof that the cause and action were committed by the disinherited heir.

The Puerto Rico Supreme Court has stated that the cause for disinheritance must be specified in the testament. Contrary to the ordinary rule of liberal testamentary interpretation, that which permits the court to interpret liberally the intention of the testator, and must prevail as his or her last will, in the case of a disinheritance the specificity of the actual exclusion must be clearly stated. A testator can only disinherit through one of the reasons stated by law, and these reasons must be clearly and unequivocally specified, as well as whom is addressed by these. A testator cannot reference another document, even if the document is a public scripture or of public domain.

What are the requirements for a valid disinheritance?

That the cause is specified in the PR Civil Code. If the reason is not in the Code, it will not work.

That the act or reason is true, in other words, that it really happened.

3. That the testator does not draft a will after the act or reason occurred, but did not include the disinheritance. The act must happen first, and then the will must be drafted. Any will drafted after the act or reason, but that does not include the disinheritance, will annul any subsequent disinheritance.

4. That the will containing the disinheritance has not been revoked by a subsequent will, and once drafted, complies with all the legal requirements for a valid will. If the will is insufficient to grant inheritance, it will be insufficient to disinherit, too.

5. Finally, that the testator and the disinherited will have not reconciled after the act occurred. If both reconcile, even if the testator proceeds to draft a will disinheriting the heir, the disinheritance is not valid. (Artículo 781, 31 L.P.R.A. § 2459)

Which are the reasons to disinherit?

All of the reasons for indignity, which are:

1. Abandon, compel to prostitution or falter against the honor of one’s offspring.
2. Sentenced for attempted murder of the testator, his spouse, his children, or his ascendants. This requires a final judgment by court.
3. Accuse in a defamatory manner the testator of committing a felony which carries imprisonment.
4. Fail to inform the authorities of the violent death of the testator for more than one month.
5. Suppress, hide or change a testament.
6. Found guilty by trial for adultery with the testator’s spouse.
7. Threaten, through fraud, or violence:

• a. compel to draft a will
• compel to change a will
• impede to draft a subsequent will
• impede to revoke a prior will

Causes for disinheritance of descendants:

1. Decline to provide sustenance for testator, without a legitimate reason.
2. Offend the testator by words or actions.
3. Engage in prostitution as a profession.
4. Accuse the testator of committing a felony, except when the felony is committed against the accuser.

Causes to disinherit parents or ascendants:

1. Being deprived of patria potestas.
2. Decline to provide sustenance, without a legitimate reason.
3. Accuse the testator of a felony.
4. Fail to post bail, having the resources to do so.
5. Being negligent in providing care.
6. Attempting to murder the opposite parent.

Causes to disinherit a spouse:

1. All the causes to grant a divorce.
2. All the casuses to deprive a parent from patria potestas, such as:

• Cause, or risk, physical, mental or emotional damage to a child, or permit another person to do so

• Fail to accompany a minor as stated by law, supervise the minor’s education and development, or provide adequately for sustenance, clothing, shelter, health care, in accordance to a parent’s economic capacity, or those provided by the State, or any other physical or private entity. Health care is comprised of the medical treatment necessary to treat any physical, mental or emotional condition, or to prevent a condition from occurring.

• If, while having the economic capacity to do so, fail to provide care and custody of the minor.

• Failing to provide a reasonable amount of child support, according to economic capacity.

• Failing to visit or communicate with the minor.

3. Decline to provide sustenance to the testator, or his/her children.
4. Attempt to murder the testator.

What are the effects of the disinheritance?

1. It has the effect of depriving the forceful heir of his legitimate portion of the estate.
2. The disinheritance prevents the disinherited heirs off spring from inheriting.
3. Any forceful heir that has received a donation from the testator, and is disinherited afterwards is considered a third-party to the estate, or a stranger, and therefore the donation is attributed to the free disposition third.
4. If an heir is disinherited, and the reason cannot be proven, or is invalid, the institution of other heirs in the testament is not invalidated. The other heirs must now redistribute the estate’s assets to include the once disinherited heir.

Finally, as you can see, the disinheritance is a complex estate matter. It is both uncommon, and has several formal requirements to be effective. The institution of a forceful heir is protected in our jurisdiction, which is why it is so difficult to disinherit a forceful heir in Puerto Rico. Regardless, a testator can recur to several reasons specified by law to this inherent, and has the option to do so if the heir has offended him or her in such a great matter that the heir must be excluded from the estate.

Before we begin discussing the importance of this recent amendment, we must clarify three main topics:

• Paternity Presumption
• Voluntary Recognition
• Paternity Contest

Paternity Presumption

There is a presumption that establishes that any child born from a married couple is theirs.  In addition, it is presumed that all children born after 300 days after the dissolution of the marriage, or divorce, are children of the male spouse. The father of this presumed child is the presumed father. All fathers can expect that all children born to their wives during their marriage are presumably theirs, and these children can be inscribed in the demographic registry without their consent, because it is presumed that if they are married or they are born during the 300 days after the divorce, these children are theirs. The reality is that sometimes this is not true, and the biological reality is substantially different, and before this law, the time period of three months or six months was final and could not be extended.  This is no longer the case.

Voluntary Recognition

Voluntary recognition is the process by which the father recognizes his son as his. This applies only to fathers.  Oftentimes, the father accompanies the mother of the minor to the demographic Registry and both parents affirm in writing that the minor that is being inscribed at that moment is theirs. Frequently, we’ll hear of a father who “gave his last name” to a minor that knowingly wasn’t his, for sentimental,  economic, or moral reasons. This constitutes a voluntary recognition, and that recognized child is, and will be, for all legal purposes, his child for the rest of his life. Therefore, this child will have a right to obtain child support from his or her father, use his or her father’s last name, and inherit in an equal matter as any other child would, be it presumed or recognized.

Paternity Contest

A paternity contest is the process by which the paternity of a presumed or voluntarily recognized child is contested, or denied. This process usually requires the filing of a lawsuit, or undergoing an administrative process through ASUME. Before this new law was approved, in addition to the time period being so short, the statute of limitations was calculated from the time the minor was inscribed in the demographic registry.

¿So how is it now?

The most important change that this law provides is that the time to contest paternity was extended to six months, which is calculated from the moment the parent is informed or finds out that his or her child is not theirs. In addition to this, any and all parents that have wanted to contest the paternity of their presumed children in the past, but were unable to because the statute of limitations had run out, are now able to do so, because the new law opens a window of six months from its date of approval. The law was approved on January 28, 2010, so any parent that wants to contest the paternity of their children must file a lawsuit before July 28, 2010.

Also, biological parents will have a longer time period to contest the paternity of the legal parent, and therefore be named legal parents of the minor they are intending to recognize as theirs as they will have a maximum of one year calculated from the time of inscription in the demographic registry.

The law states as follows: “… Based upon the date at which knowledge is obtained of the error or approval of this law, whichever is longer.”

The second-most important change brought on by this law are the persons authorized by law who will be able to contest the paternity. These are:

1. The presumed father
2. The biological father
3. The mother
4. The child, by himself or herself, or through their legal representation (if he or she is a minor)

These are the two most important changes in the law. For more details, you can read the law in Spanish, as approved, by clicking this link:

Law Number 215 of December 29 of 2009