Family
A dedicated Family Code and specialised family courts
El Salvador consolidated family law into the Código de Familia of 1994, with its own procedural statute and specialised courts. Unión no matrimonial is recognised after three years and produces inheritance and maintenance effects. Same-sex marriage is not recognised.
Key rules
- Marriage requires both parties to be 18; the 2017 reform removed all exceptions for minors, including pregnancy.
- The default regime is separación de bienes unless the parties elect comunidad diferida or participación en las ganancias.
- Unión no matrimonial after three years of stable cohabitation is declarable and confers succession rights.
- Divorce grounds are mutual consent, separation for one year, or intolerable conduct.
- The Procuraduría General de la República represents children and may bring maintenance claims directly.
Governing law
- Código de Familia (Decreto 677 de 1993)Marriage, filiation, unión no matrimonial.
- Ley Procesal de Familia (Decreto 133 de 1994)Oral family procedure.
- LEIV (Decreto 520 de 2010)Violence against women.
In practice
Family procedure is oral and comparatively quick. The PGR provides free representation in maintenance and filiation matters, which is the usual route for claimants without means. Abortion is prohibited without exception, which has direct consequences in obstetric cases.