Family
The 2014 Family Code and specialised family courts
The Código de Familia (Ley 870), in force since 2015, consolidated family law and created dedicated Juzgados de Familia with oral procedure. It recognises unión de hecho estable and places the best interests of the child at the centre of custody decisions.
Key rules
- Marriage requires both parties to be 18, with no dispensation for minors.
- The default regime is separación de bienes; comunidad or mixed regimes may be chosen by public deed.
- Unión de hecho estable is recognised after two years and produces property, succession and maintenance effects.
- Divorce may be granted at the request of one spouse (divorcio unilateral) without proving fault.
- Shared parental authority continues after separation, and maintenance is set as a percentage of income.
Governing law
- Código de Familia (Ley 870 de 2014)Marriage, unión de hecho, custody and maintenance.
- Código de la Niñez y la Adolescencia (Ley 287)Child protection.
- Ley 779 Integral contra la Violencia hacia las MujeresGender violence, as amended by mediation reforms.
In practice
Unilateral divorce makes dissolution straightforward; the contested issues are property and maintenance. Ley 779's 2013 reform reintroduced mediation for some offences, which women's organisations argue weakens protection in practice.