Child Support Laws in DR

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nakom

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This is just a question for curiosity sake, so I don't need any expert legal advice. Just wondering if anyone knows the child support laws in the DR.

I did some research on this site and on the internet in general, and I can not seem to find any definitive answers.

It seems that a judge in a DR court can impose child support on a gringo/a as long as the child lives in the DR and has a Dominican mother or father. What I don?t understand is that there are 100's of 1000's of single Dominican mothers. I have heard it is common for Dominican males to get a woman pregnant and leave without payment or responsibility. Many women have children from multiple fathers, and many many men have children with multiple women. I have never heard or seen of any of these men paying any kind of child support.

My question, is child support imposed by a DR court only for gringos/as, or is it the same for all persons in the DR? Is there a responsibility for Dominican fathers to pay child support? If there is not, how can they justify forcing a gringo/a to pay child support?

NOTE** - before anyone gets their underwear in a bunch, I know there are millions of responsible Dominican parents who take full responsibility for their children and who do not have children from multiple partners. I am not painting all Dominicans with a broad brush - just that it is more common than you would see in Canada.
 

Givadogahome

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You will be surprised what can be accomplished if a women has family and connections and they know a pay day could be on the way. Don't underestimate the value of family and the lengths they will go to to stop you leaving until they have a formal draft on you and your money.
But if you got a scum dweller up the stick the worst you can expect is a vitist to see the military judge who will ask you 'how my you want to pay her?', you make an offer, she accepts, you pay the lawyer you had appointed by the judge his RD20,000 for the 30mins work, you give her RD25,000 within the day and she leaves you alone until she has run out of cash which will be less than a week. Then if you don't pay again, she will have you arrested for rape, assault or something along those lines to get you back to the court and get more funds from you.
Stay away from curb filth, you will end up dead, broke, paranoid 24/7 and most prolly all 3 for a while.
I know a guy who could not leave the airport as military were tipped off to keep an eye out for him, as this tramp was connected. 3 flights he didn't get on as he knew they would nab him, eventually he went to Punta Cana and flew out of there some time after his mind began to get over the shock of what was happening to him.

If you think you have a girl pregnant honor your responsibilities, Karma is a bitch and you never know what might happen say one day you actually do want a child, but.................................

The short is, yes, if they feel you are going to screw a child out of his rights you can be held or at least life made hell until you pay your way out of it.
'Legalities and realities do not go hand in hand in this land!'
 

beastwood

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I too have many questions.....but here's an observation by way of confession

There is absolutely rampant absent padres. I once dated (and supported) a woman for a few months. She had four kids under the age of 12 by two different men. She made real bad choices in men who had no regular employment and the government had very little means to impose support on men with very little means. Yes she received court ordered decisions requiring monthly stipends from one or both of the Dominican fathers. But from what I could see very little enforcement was possible.

And even a well intentioned (usually), gringo like me was not much of an upgrade. As the weeks passed I learned this young lady's troubles were way over my head financially and emotionally. But the experience highlighted for me a very real, where the tire hits the road scenario as to why Gringos are sought after for support, marriage visas, etc...

The sankette thing is not just evil women scamming for a visa...it is desperation. The exchange rate alone offers a woman with kids the hope and dream of "acquiring" security via a foreign husband. A $100 US (or something just south of $4000 pesos), moneygram, goes a long way in any given month for a woman with no job, support and mouths to feed. Her situation is extremely common and sad, the roots of which, run very deep into her upbringing and culture. I continue to believe she was honest with me, but it does not matter. She was in a very bad way and in retrospect I had no business engaging in a relationship with her. I do feel better in that upon parting, I believe I treated her honorably given the less than savvy manner into which I stumbled into this 6 month relationship. I was happy to help her kids in a small way.

The warnings are fast and furious on this site, and the scamming and desperation are indeed very real. You run the risk of either using the woman, being scammed or both. Better to stick to educated professional career types....or better yet stay home. I of course have not heeded the latter advice.

As for the legalities of child support for the child of a gringo, I would tend to agree with Giveadog...Dominicans are amazingly resourceful folks, cross the wrong one with a good network, and you will pay the full fare.


This is just a question for curiosity sake, so I don't need any expert legal advice. Just wondering if anyone knows the child support laws in the DR.

I did some research on this site and on the internet in general, and I can not seem to find any definitive answers.

It seems that a judge in a DR court can impose child support on a gringo/a as long as the child lives in the DR and has a Dominican mother or father. What I don’t understand is that there are 100's of 1000's of single Dominican mothers. I have heard it is common for Dominican males to get a woman pregnant and leave without payment or responsibility. Many women have children from multiple fathers, and many many men have children with multiple women. I have never heard or seen of any of these men paying any kind of child support.

My question, is child support imposed by a DR court only for gringos/as, or is it the same for all persons in the DR? Is there a responsibility for Dominican fathers to pay child support? If there is not, how can they justify forcing a gringo/a to pay child support?

NOTE** - before anyone gets their underwear in a bunch, I know there are millions of responsible Dominican parents who take full responsibility for their children and who do not have children from multiple partners. I am not painting all Dominicans with a broad brush - just that it is more common than you would see in Canada.
 
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Givadogahome

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Listen well OP, 'everyone's been there, but only a select few have got the t-shirt and the brains to not buy anymore!':p
 

nakom

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So bottom line what you are saying is that the rules are the same for everyone. Judges impose the same child support panalties on Dominican parents, only enforcment with people of little means is nil to none.

Is this correct?
 

jackcrew

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I too, am no legal expert. From what I have witnessed, Dominican women can take their baby-fathers to court in order to receive child support. Many times, the father will pay the fee because he is ordered to, threatened with jail time, and loss of visitation rights. After the father pays the support for a month (or maybe two), he stops paying. Then the mother goes to court again; disrupting her life and the process and starts over again.

If the mother finds a new boyfriend or husband, then the previous baby-father assumes he is no longer responsible and the new guy will take care of the family.

Concerning gringos, it mostly is a matter of personal responsibility. Yes, the mother can take you to court and the court will probably order you to pay for the raising of the child. But if you leave the country what can anyone do? Spend a fortune to extradite you for not paying child support? Not likely. If you live in the country as an expat, perhaps the court has more teeth. But most of the gringo fathers I know that live in the Dominican Republic pay for their off-spring.
 

nakom

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Listen well OP, 'everyone's been there, but only a select few have got the t-shirt and the brains to not buy anymore!':p

Hey Givadog - I have no kids, have never got anyone pregnant, and am an intelligent logical person with morals and a sense of responsibility. Don't worry about me - look after yourself.

Thank you for the info.
 

Givadogahome

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Sep 27, 2011
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So bottom line what you are saying is that the rules are the same for everyone. Judges impose the same child support panalties on Dominican parents, only enforcment with people of little means is nil to none.

Is this correct?

That is exactly what I am not saying.
But I won't bother elaborating, as I'm unsure how to take your previous remark.
 

Criss Colon

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Definition of "Mass Confusion"??????????????????????

Father's Day In The Dominican Republic!!! :p:p:p
Cris Colon
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
 

web

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So a Dominicana goes to the courts and says you are the father and you dispute it. What would be the logical outcome? I would imagine she would have to prove it via a DNA test, but crazier things have happened like they would try to make you pay for the paternity test? Those can be realatively expensive right like 15 mil pesos? If you do not work how could they impose support on you if you have no income? I know that girls here go to the court and impose a pension on their babies fathers but they typically have a decent job with a reputable company here. If you are a gringo here with no bank account and no income here how could they even try to make you pay for support or for the paternity test?
 

Givadogahome

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If you decline to pay for the paternity test, the courts will have it done if the girl is liked and if you are the father then you will be expected to pay the full amount back (no need to tell you how much mark up is made on that). It works the same way as if you can not afford a lawyer, they will allocate one to you and then you will be forced to pay, after the hearing which can be very very expensive indeed. If you hav no one to bail you out from home then you will stay locked up for 3 months.
If you are in this situation it is best to lie in the courts or they will send you down until you change your mind, then hide until you find some cash to pau and relax until you can get out, You are a foreigner and remember everyone knows you have money to be there and so you have some to pay for a child. Remember the courts don't care about the children involved, but they do like to shaft expats if they get a chance to.
A paternity test in a clinic on the Northcoast will cost you RD1850pesos, POP, but use several different clinics to be sure, they have been known to get it mixed up. If you go to Cheramicos you can get one at the clinic but they are not done, and just guessed, but at RD650 what can you expect. I am not sure where you got 15,000pesos from?
A girl will not have the Duminican father of her son locked up, the consequence of the family would be to great and an ugly aftermath would break out, and so if and when the tigre/ladrone moto fancies paying for some diapers he might, they have to live with that, the mothers usually help out as much as they can on the dumass side of it. I have seen friends ignore their children on the way home from school, and so most of these women know Domen are merely sperm banks, and when they have them with these guys they are still only considering the child as an accessory to have with her friends, they only consider future if there is anything in it. With an Expat, there is a stable future in it as so they will go to extreme lengths to get what they think they deserve, rarely the court for a claim for none payment of child support, but they will go to the police and claim rape or equal if they ask you for money and you do not pay.
Remember you are playing the system as best you can if you are a Dom with little, Mrs whire bollox is merely a pawn to be played and knocked off the board if it is of no use!
 

JMB773

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Nov 4, 2011
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So let me get this straight, the DR authorities have the right to take a CITIZEN from USA, Japan, Spain, or Ireland in DR on a TOURIST visa off the streets tie them down in a chair compell them to take a very invasive procedure like a DNA test, and if they refuse lock them up for 3 months?

All because some women said he is the father of my child and he does not pay for anything.

Do some of you think a government have the right to take a citizen from another country visiting a country on a VISA, to atm and forced them to withdrawl money so they can exit the country.

Example: Say a woman in NYC had sex with a guy from Brazil and they had a baby. He return to visit her and the baby and he said " I am not pay for nothing your on your own with that. Do you think even if her father was Mayor Bloomberg the police can go to the airport and stop a citizen from Brazil from leaving the country on a CHILD SUPPORT issue.

I have a friend from Madrid she is American, but lived in Spain for almost 10 yrs, her and I was driving down LSD and a cop clocked her 20 mph over the speed limit ,and when she showed him her ID from Spain the cop said" your lucky you are not from here or I would have given you two tickets, just slow it down".

Very hard to enforce tiny crimes on people visiting on tourist visas.
 

leromero

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So let me get this straight, the DR authorities have the right to take a CITIZEN from USA, Japan, Spain, or Ireland in DR on a TOURIST visa off the streets tie them down in a chair compell them to take a very invasive procedure like a DNA test, and if they refuse lock them up for 3 months?

What Givadogahome mentioned in post #2 is the answer: 'Legalities and realities do not go hand in hand in this land!'
 

belmont

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You are all assuming that all Domincan men are unemployed and without means to pay child support. Over the years in my business we have had many male employees pulled into court and had to answer child support claims. The result was we had court orders to make a separate deposit into baby's mother's account which was deducted from the father's pay every month. Dominican's with decent jobs will not quit their jobs just to avoid child support as jobs are too precious in the DR. In fact, I had one employee who supported children with multiple mothers. Also, the support orders were not a huge percentage of the employees pay, in my opinion.
 

beastwood

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nice safety net for the kid...

You are all assuming that all Dominican men are unemployed and without means to pay child support. Over the years in my business we have had many male employees pulled into court and had to answer child support claims. The result was we had court orders to make a separate deposit into baby's mother's account which was deducted from the father's pay every month. Dominican's with decent jobs will not quit their jobs just to avoid child support as jobs are too precious in the DR. In fact, I had one employee who supported children with multiple mothers. Also, the support orders were not a huge percentage of the employees pay, in my opinion.

Very interesting Belmont. The other hope is that it takes a village. As in the case of my brother-in law. He has a mother, brother, sister (my wife), and others who are raising (together) this career domino playing jobless young man's, 4 year old son. This 4 year old is well loved, fed and nurtured, while disco diva mom, and domino dad walk right on by their responsibilities day after day (separated / never married mom and dad live on the same street as the caregivers). Heart warming and pis*es me off at the same time.

In this case both parents are shirking their responsibilities. Luckily there is the family villiage (with siblings and parents who have jobs), to care for this young man's baby....but often, the babies are have little to no such support, which is heartbreaking, but that is life in the wild west.
 

JMB773

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What Givadogahome mentioned in post #2 is the answer: 'Legalities and realities do not go hand in hand in this land!'

I know first hand how the DR Legal System is very challenged, but it is very difficult to keep a citizen from returning to their homeland in another country while there as a tourist.

I am not a lawyer, but I do not think a DNA test can be forced onto a tourist because a woman wants child support.

Also even if the police remove him from the airport if he is smart and understand his rights, he would ask to see a person from his embassy. What are the police going to tell the Canadian or USA embassy " he can't leave because a lady said he is the father, and she needs child support"

As far as the woman claiming rape to get a person in front of a Dominican judge to get money REALLY!!! Every country knows how other countries scheme and cheat to extort money from tourists. So a person who has NEVER been convicted of any crime in his country is going to go DR and commit a rape.

I wish they DR would ever try to prevent me from leaving the island on a child support issue.

If some of you believe the DR has or enforced child support laws WOW!!!!
 

Hillbilly

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Fact is that Law 2501 (or something close to that number) is the ONE law that can get your butt thrown into the clink. IF the woman has a support decree from a court/judge, which you have agreed to, then you are on the hook and those monthly payments will be made or else!
While it is true there are plenty of deadbeats, a lot of that rests on the fact that in this male-dominated society there is a lot of pressure not to do anything and be satisfied with the scraps that might come your way. The number of killings by former partners is enough to scare anyone.

But for law-abiding citizens there are child support laws and obligations..

HB
 

porkman100

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Apr 11, 2010
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jmb; there was another thread a few days ago,about how easy it is to prevent you from leaving the country if you have a legal matter pending, which include civil.Any Dominican lawyer can do it.
 

belmont

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Oct 9, 2009
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So let me get this straight, the DR authorities have the right to take a CITIZEN from USA, Japan, Spain, or Ireland in DR on a TOURIST visa off the streets tie them down in a chair compell them to take a very invasive procedure like a DNA test, and if they refuse lock them up for 3 months?

All because some women said he is the father of my child and he does not pay for anytYyhing.

Do some of you think a government have the right to take a citizen from another country visiting a country on a VISA, to atm and forced them to withdrawl money so they can exit the country.

Example: Say a woman in NYC had sex with a guy from Brazil and they had a baby. He return to visit her and the baby and he said " I am not pay for nothing your on your own with that. Do you think even if her father was Mayor Bloomberg the police can go to the airport and stop a citizen from Brazil from leaving the country on a CHILD SUPPORT issue.

I have a friend from Madrid she is American, but lived in Spain for almost 10 yrs, her and I was driving down LSD and a cop clocked her 20 mph over the speed limit ,and when she showed him her ID from Spain the cop said" your lucky you are not from here or I would have given you two tickets, just slow it down".

Very hard to enforce tiny crimes on people visiting on tourist visas.
Not hard to enforce at all. Just need to file an Impedimento de Salida indicating the person named is the subject of court proceding. It costs RD$330 to file it. Then up to named party to file to have it lifted. In the interim, every port of exit will prevent your exit until it is lifted. All your home embassy will do is reccommend an attorney as they will not interfere with another country's legal proceedings. According to this attached article, there were 800 foreigners being prevented from leaving. Some of the matters were as minimal as traffic violations. BTW, a DNA test is not invasive, simply a swab of mouth. EL TAPON DE LAS CINCO: 28 MIL PERSONAS CON IMPEDIMENTO DE SALIDA EN EL PAIS
Also see ..:: Procuradur?a General de la Rep?blica Dominicana ::.. Transparencia
 
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