American Expatriate Costa Rica

Project for father and mother to equally contribute money and domestic work approved

On Tuesday, with 47 votes in favor and 0 against, the Legislative Plenary approved in the first reading file 21.296 that amends article 35 of the Family Code, presented by María Vita Monge Granados, which establishes equality in marriage for both expenses and domestic work.

The previous norm established that

the husband is the main one obliged to defray the expenses demanded by the family […] and the wife is obliged to contribute to them in a solidary and proportional way, when she has her own resources,”

which was considered by the PUSC legislator as inconsistent with the current reality of marriage, as well as unequal for both men and women, for which she presented a reform that establishes equality in expenses, household work and care of the children.

We approved this excellent project by María Vita Monge. The new generations will have a Family Code that does not make distinctions of the feminine and masculine roles in the maintenance of the home,”

applauded legislator Paola Vega.

This is how article 35 is reformed:

Both spouses are responsible for defraying the needs and expenses of the family, and each one will respond proportionally according to their aptitudes, possibilities and economic income, as well as the obligation for both to share domestic and care work, and the parental responsibility on the sons and daughters and dependent relatives.

The spouse who performs, exclusively or in a greater proportion than the other spouse, unpaid domestic work in the home and in the care of the dependent sons and daughters or relatives, shall have the right to have said work estimated as their economic contribution to the support of the household in the corresponding proportion. The same provisions will apply to de facto unions.”

crhoy.com