Child Support Experience and Practices

in Portugal: Domestic and International Recovery

Directorate General for the Administration of JusticePortuguese Central Authority / Transmitting - Receiving Agency

Paulo Gonçalves

Hong Kong, 10th November 2015

• Presentation of DGAJ as Portuguese Central Authority /

Transmitting - Receiving Agency

• Historical background

• Relationship with the various international legal instruments

• Best practices

2

Assumes the competences of DGAJ as Portuguese Central Authority / Transmitting -

Receiving Agency

• Responsible for forwarding rogatory letters for execution concerning service of documents, taking of evidence or other judicial acts in accordance with international, supranational and bilateral legislation in civil and commercial matters

• Responsible for instruction and monitoring of applications for maintenance recovery

INTERNATIONAL JUDICIAL COOPERATION UNIT

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• Represents the Directorate General for the Administration of Justice as Central/National Authority in EJNCC, Hague Conference and other International Organizations

• Ensures cooperation with other Central/National Authorities under international, supranational and bilateral legislation in civil and commercial matters

• Designs and delivers training activities, together with the Training Unit, and prepares training and information tools related to legal instruments that underlie the International Judicial Cooperation in Civil and Commercial Matters

4

MIGRATION: HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

15th century•North Africa•Altlantic islands

Discovery of the sea route to India

Mid-sixteen century•Brazil

End of 19th century•USA•Argentina•Venezuela,•Canada•Australia

Mid-1960s•Former colonies in Africa

•Americas

1980s•Switzerland

1986-2014•Europe

5

MIGRATION: HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

6

• There are more than two million Portuguese

emigrants worldwide (between 2.0 and 2.3 million)

• Portuguese emigrants amount to more than 20% of

the population living in Portugal

• Portugal is the European Union country with more

emigration (after Malta)

• Ten out of the 16 most important countries of

destination of Portuguese emigration are European Source: Observatório da Emigração (2014), Portuguese Emigration Factbook 2014, Lisbon, Observatório da Emigração, CIES-IUL, ISCTE-IUL. DOI: 10.15847/CIESOEMFB2014

7

Portuguese permanent inflows in top destination countries

Source: Observatório da Emigração (2014), Portuguese Emigration Factbook 2014, Lisbon, Observatório da Emigração, CIES-IUL, ISCTE-IUL. DOI: 10.15847/CIESOEMFB2014

Note [AGO] Data from visas concerning permanent emigration. [BEL] 2012. [FRA] 2012. [ITA] 2012. Source Chart by OEm, data from: [AGO] Consulates of Angola in Portugal (Lisbon and Oporto); [BEL] Eurostat, Statistics Database, Population and Social Conditions; [BRA] Ministério do Trabalho e Emprego; [CAN] Citizenship and Immigration Canada; [DEU] Statistisches Bundesamt Deutschland; [FRA] Institut Nacional de la Statistique et des Études Économiques; [ITA] Eurostat, Statistics Database, Population and Social Conditions; [LUX] Le Portail des Statistiques du Luxembourg; [MOZ] Direção Geral dos Assuntos Consulares e Comunidades Portuguesas (DGACCP) based on data from Mozambique Ministry of Labor; [NLD] Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek; [NOR] Statistics Norway; [ESP] Instituto Nacional de Estadística; [CHE] Office Fédéral de la Statistique; [GBR] Department for Work and Pensions; [USA] US Department of Homeland Security.

8

Portuguese permanent inflows in top destination countries

Source: Observatório da Emigração (2014), Portuguese Emigration Factbook 2014, Lisbon, Observatório da Emigração, CIES-IUL, ISCTE-IUL. DOI: 10.15847/CIESOEMFB2014

Note [AGO] Data from visas concerning permanent emigration. [BEL] 2012. [FRA] 2012. [ITA] 2012. [VEN] 2011. Source Map by OEm, data from: [AGO] Consulates of Angola in Portugal (Lisbon and Oporto); [BEL] Eurostat, Statistics Database, Population and Social Conditions; [BRA] Ministério do Trabalho e Emprego; [CAN] Citizenship and Immigration Canada; [DEU] Statistisches Bundesamt Deutschland; [FRA] Institut Nacional de la Statistique et des Études Économiques; [ITA] Eurostat, Statistics Database, Population and Social Conditions; [LUX] Le Portail des Statistiques du Luxembourg; [MOZ] Direção Geral dos Assuntos Consulares e Comunidades Portuguesas (DGACCP) based on data from Mozambique Ministry of Labor; [NLD] Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek; [NOR] Statistics Norway; [ESP] Instituto Nacional de Estadística; [CHE] Office Fédéral de la Statistique; [GBR] Department for Work and Pensions; [USA] US Department of Homeland Security; [VEN] Instituto Nacional de Estadística.

67%

17%

13%3% 1% 0%

Europe North America

Latin America and Caribbean Africa

Oceania Asia

• Convention on the Recovery Abroad of Maintenance, New York, 20 June 1956

• Convention on the International Recovery of Child Support and Other Forms of Maintenance, 23 November 2007

• Council Regulation (EC) n. 4/2009 of 18 December 2008 relating to Maintenance Obligations

• Bilateral Agreement between Portugal and United States of America for the Recovery of Maintenance

RELATIONSHIP WITH THE VARIOUS INTERNATIONAL LEGAL INSTRUMENTS

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• Bilateral Agreement for the Recovery Maintenance between Portugal and Cabo Verde

• Bilateral Agreement for the Recovery Maintenance between Portugal and São Tomé and Príncipe

• Bilateral Agreement for Judicial and Judiciary Cooperation between Portugal and Angola

• Bilateral Agreement for Judicial and Judiciary Cooperation between Portugal and Mozambique

• Bilateral Agreement for Judicial and Judiciary Cooperation between Portugal and Guinea-Bissau

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STATISTICS

19901991

19921993

19941995

19961997

19981999

20002001

20022003

20042005

20062007

20082009

20102011

20122013

20142015

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

269 8 16 27 25 32 56 68 58 82 75 87 102 91

120 131112

163 158

110

277323

525

458446

Number of registered cases

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STATISTICS

Pending Closed

Number of Cases 1431 2099

250

750

1250

1750

2250

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STATISTICSNEW YORK CONVENTION

1%

19%

76%

Portugal as Requesting State

2%

24%

4%

51%

15%

Portugal as Requested State

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STATISTICSBILATERAL AGREEMENTS WITH PALOP*

*Portuguese-speaking African Countries

32%

39%

5%

18%

7%Portugal as Requesting State

50%50%

Portugal as Requested State

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STATISTICSCOUNCIL REGULATION (EC) 4/2009

9%

5%

12%

40%

1%1%

8%

4%

19%

0%

Portugal as Requesting MS

21%

5%

11%

11%

1%1%

9%

7%

1%1%

9%1%

Portugal as Requested MS

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STATISTICSHAGUE CONVENTION 2007 and BILATERAL AGREEMENT WITH USA

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Bilateral Agreement with USA

Requesting State Requested State Number of casesPortugal USA 53

USA Portugal 71

Hague Convention 2007Norway Portugal 3

1990 2011 2015

BEST PRACTICESCASE WORKERS

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BEST PRACTICES

• Training sessions to bailiffs• Presencial at courts• E-learning (starts 2016)

• Collaborates:• Training activities:

• Centre for Judicial Studies (School of Portuguese judges, public prosecutors and public attorneys)

• Registrars• Notaries• Lawyers

• Universities for Law students• Organization of conferences related to maintenance

obligations18

BEST PRACTICES

• Projects involved

• European Judicial Network in Civil and Commercial

matters:

• Arrears form

• Guidance for the Maintenance Regulation forms

• European Judicial Training for Court Staff and

Bailiffs

• Hague Conference:

• iSupport19

BEST PRACTICES

• Encourages the use of alternative resolution of

disputes (mediation and negotiation)

• Location of the debtor/creditor/assets/revenues

• Police (PSP, GNR, SEF)

• Tax Administration

• Social Security

• National Citizens registries

• Commercial, land and vehicle registries

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PORTUGAL AS REQUESTED STATE

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RECOGNITION AND ENFORCEMENT OF FOREIGN MAINTENANCE DECISIONS

• According to internal law, all foreign decisions need

to pass through the process of recognition and

enforcement in the Court of Appeal [Tribunal da

Relação] – Articles 978 and 979 of the Portuguese

Code of Civil Procedure

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RECOGNITION AND ENFORCEMENT OF FOREIGN MAINTENANCE DECISIONS:

…With the exception

Recognised without any special procedure by the Court of First

Instance [Tribunal da Comarca – Instância Central Família e

Menores / Instância Local]

• For the decisions under:

• Regulation 44/2001 (decisions after 1st March 2002)

• New Lugano Convention:• Norway (decisions after 1st January 2010)• Switzerland (decisions after 1st January 2011)• Iceland (decisions after 1st May 2011)

• Council Regulation (EC) n. 4/2009 (decisions before 18th

June 2011 and from UK and Denmark)23

DOMESTIC CASES FOR ENFORCEMENT

Who will start the case?

• Under 18 years old Public Attorney [Procurador da

República]

• >= 18 to 21 years old (under the Maintenance Regulation and

Hague Convention 2007) Portuguese CA requests the

Social Security and Bars Association to nominate a Lawyer

• => 21 if the creditor/applicant has benefited from complete or

partial legal aid or exemption from costs or expenses, shall be

entitled to benefit from the most favourable legal aid or the

most extensive exemption from costs or expenses provided for

by the law of the Member State of enforcement.24

DOMESTIC CASES FOR ENFORCEMENT

Enforcement Maintenance Cases

Type of case Enforcement measuresINCIDENT OF NON-COMPLIANCE[Incidente de incumprimento] Articles 41 and 48 of the Portuguese General Scheme of Civil Guardianship Proceedings

• Wage withholding• Deductions from social security payments• Withholding or attachment of pension

benefits• Seizure of lump sum payments

MAINTENANCE ENFORCEMENT PROCEEDINGS[Execução Especial por Alimentos]Article 933 of the Portuguese Code of Civil Procedure

• Wage withholding• Garnishment or attachment from bank

accounts and other sources• Seizure and sale of assets• Deductions from social security payments• Lien on or forced sale of property• Withholding or attachment of tax refund• Withholding or attachment of pension

benefits• Seizure of lump sum payments

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DOMESTIC LAW

Up to what age can a child benefit of maintenance?

25 years old

“For the purposes of Article 1880, it is understood that remains

after the majority [18 years old], and until the child reaches 25

years of age, maintenance established on their behalf during the

minority, unless the respective education process or vocational

training is completed prior to that date, if it was freely interrupted

or if, in any case, the parent who provides maintenance, make

proof of the unreasonableness of maintenance” - Law 122/2015, of 1st

September 2015, amended Article 989 of the Portuguese Code of Civil Procedure

and Article 1905 of the Portuguese Civil Code

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Thank you for your attention

Direção Geral da Administração da Justiça

Divisão de Cooperação Judiciária InternacionalAv. D. João II, n.º 1.08.01 D/E - Piso 9.°

1990-097 LISBOA PORTUGAL

E-mail: cji.dsaj@dgaj.mj.pt Website: www.dgaj.mj.pt

www.cji-dgaj.mj.pt