Elsa
Lawyer · Lisbon, Portugal
- 640 cases handled
- 29+ years in practice
- Speaks: English, Portuguese
- Law, Autonoma University Lisbon
-
4.88(11 reviews)
Modify Child Support or Alimony in Portugal
In Portugal maintenance for a child or a former spouse, the pensão de alimentos, is set by agreement or by the court and can be changed later when the means of the payer or the needs of the recipient change, through an alteration procedure. English-speaking lawyers in Portugal prepare and contest these requests for foreign parents and former spouses, including when one of them lives in another country.
About Modify Child Support or Alimony in Portugal
Modifying child support or alimony in Portugal means changing a pensão de alimentos that an agreement or a court decision fixed earlier. Some older lists and lawyer pages call this service “Modification Child Support or Alimony Agreements”. People search for it as changing, reducing or increasing child support or child maintenance, modifying alimony or spousal maintenance, and in Portuguese as alteração da pensão de alimentos or alteração da regulação das responsabilidades parentais. Portuguese uses one word, alimentos, for maintenance paid to a child and to a former spouse (pensão de alimentos ao ex-cônjuge); the rules differ.
Who this is for
A parent whose income has fallen or who has moved to another country, a parent whose child's costs have grown, a parent paying for an adult child who is still studying, a former spouse who receives or pays maintenance after a divorce, and anyone whose arrangement no longer matches real life.
How maintenance is changed in Portugal
Child maintenance is part of the regulation of parental responsibilities, so a change follows the same path: parents who agree can file a new agreement, which the public prosecutor reviews and the registry or court approves; a parent who cannot get agreement applies to the family court (Juízo de Família e Menores) for an alteration, showing that circumstances have changed significantly since the decision. The court weighs the needs of the child against the means of both parents and can adjust the amount, the way it is paid or the sharing of extra expenses such as school and health costs.
For an adult child the obligation does not end automatically: while the child is in education or training it may continue up to the age the law sets, and the parent who wants to stop paying has to show that the support is no longer needed or reasonable. Maintenance for a former spouse is granted only when that spouse cannot provide for himself or herself, and it is reviewed or ends when the situation of either side changes, for example on a new marriage of the recipient.
Points to watch
- A private arrangement between the parents does not replace the fixed amount until it is approved; the old decision stays enforceable.
- Unpaid maintenance is a different procedure from changing it: enforcement, and in some cases a state guarantee fund for minors, deal with arrears.
- When the child or the other parent lives in another country, which court can decide depends on where the child lives, and a Portuguese decision may need recognition abroad, or a foreign one here through enforcement of the foreign judgment.
What a lawyer does
A lawyer gathers the evidence of the change in income or needs, drafts the new agreement or the application, represents the parent or former spouse at the hearing, and makes sure the result fits the rest of the arrangement: the child's residence and parental responsibilities, the contact regime and, for former spouses, the terms of the divorce.
Questions and answers
How is the amount of child maintenance set in Portugal?
By the needs of the child and the means of both parents; there is no fixed tariff, and a lawyer explains what courts usually take into account in a comparable case.
I lost my job. Can the maintenance be reduced?
A significant and lasting drop in income is a typical ground for an alteration, but the reduction has to be requested; stopping payments on one's own initiative creates arrears.
My child is an adult but still studies. Does maintenance continue?
Often yes while the studies continue, within the age limit the law sets. Whether it stops or continues is decided case by case.
Can alimony to a former spouse be changed?
Yes, when the needs of the recipient or the means of the payer change, and it can end in the situations the law describes.
4 lawyers who provide Modify Child Support or Alimony in Portugal
Sorted by experience in this service. Write to any of them — the reply comes from the lawyer, without obligation.
-
-
Carolina
Lawyer · Lisbon, Portugal
- 366 cases handled
- 4+ years in practice
- Speaks: Spanish, English, Portuguese
- Law, University of Coimbra
-
4.91(11 reviews)
-
Jorge
Lawyer · Porto, Portugal
- 116 cases handled
- 9+ years in practice
- Speaks: English, Portuguese
- Law, Coimbra
-
5.00(6 reviews)
-
Goncalo
Lawyer · Lagos, Portugal
- 55 cases handled
- 7+ years in practice
- Speaks: English, Spanish, Portuguese, French
- Degree in Law, Universidade de Lisboa
Contact form · a chat with a lawyer
Talk to a lawyer about Modify Child Support or Alimony
4 registered lawyers provide this service in Portugal. Describe your situation in a short chat — what happened, where, and how to reach you. Your enquiry is reviewed and passed to a lawyer who handles exactly this kind of case, with no obligation.
We are not just a place to list a profile: we work with every lawyer individually. Each one is registered with a bar association, and their experience, languages and client reviews are shown openly on their card.
Enquiries are answered by lawyers of AdvocateAbroad. This site provides legal information, not legal advice.
What our clients say about our service in Portugal
-
Always available and keen to help, a nice guy and easy to talk to.
— Jeffrey31 May 2019Modify Child Support or Alimony -
There were many unforeseen problems because of Covid and recent changes in requirements in Portugal, but the lawyer did a great job in seeing things through in these difficult times. The assistance was excellent.
— Russell04 Mar 2021 -
I was pleased with the lawyer's knowledge and professionalism in a delicate case; the English was flawless.
— John05 May 2026 -
I liked that they spoke English. The lawyer was attentive, helpful and easy to communicate with.
— Fil03 Mar 2021 -
I found the lawyer extremely helpful and supportive, with excellent communication and responses to my questions. She offered several solutions along with great advice and guidance, and her English was flawless. She was approachable and professional while advising me through a personally difficult time.
— karen10 Feb 2021 -
The lawyer put me at ease right away and was both professional and friendly. I am grateful to her for all the help she gave me in a difficult time of my life.
— Claire20 Jun 2020 -
The professionalism far exceeded what I have been used to with similar practices in other European countries. The lawyer was very caring and sensitive in assisting with a very emotional family bereavement in the Algarve.
— Ian07 Sep 2026Assistance with Motor Vehicle Processes, Portugal -
Her service was first class, the best I could have hoped for. She was helpful at every turn and happily explained whatever I had not understood, and I was completely satisfied with the outcome. The survey cannot capture the extent of what she did for my family. Her grasp of her field, and explaining everything in both Portuguese and English, is amazing. I am deeply grateful.
— Sonia07 May 2026 -
He is an excellent lawyer and a true professional. I used his services on two occasions: first a consultation in the summer of 2025 about the best way for a US citizen like me to get a Portuguese visa, and then, most recently, to get a marriage license in Portugal. Since my wife and I left it quite late, we took him on in a rush, close to the deadline, and he finished everything extremely quickly and helped us collect and translate the required documents. His English is flawless, so we never had trouble understanding him, and communication was great throughout. The whole process was incredibly smooth. He even gave us additional service beyond what we had hired him for, and he made the entire thing stress-free. If you need any legal assistance, I highly recommend him; he is our lawyer of choice in Portugal.
— Ryan19 Mar 2026 -
The lawyer was very supportive and helpful. I feel lucky to have chosen her to assist with what turned out to be a very complicated sale, and her English was perfect. I am very grateful for all her work, help and advice and would highly recommend her to anyone.
— Louise26 Feb 2025 -
Real expertise in her field, good understanding and great communication, finding what works best for her clients. Honest, well spoken, and perfect English.
— Fernando30 Nov 2023 -
The lawyer pulled me out of trouble quickly. What I badly needed was exactly what I got: prompt answers, understanding, good value for money, and the ability to explain matters and propose fitting solutions. His English is flawless as well. For approachability and professionalism he cannot be beaten. For comparison, I have been through three other accountants since settling in Portugal, and none of them achieved much. Two of them gave me wrong advice that ended in fines, and their communication was dreadful. Thanks.
— John02 Nov 2022Fiscal Advice, Portugal