Archivo de Iurispa · corte técnico 2026-09-12
Textos originales conservados para consulta y cotejo. Cada ficha identifica su procedencia y distingue el contenido histórico de una norma vigente.
Explorar el glosario urbanístico de Iurispa →
Tema: Family Law · Ver todas las guías
Adopting in Panama is governed by the General Adoption Law (Law 46 of 2013), under the authority of SENNIAF. This guide explains the age and age-gap requirements, the required documentation, the process — which in practice takes three years or more — and the specific route for adopting an adult.
In Panama a couple who lives together stably can have their union recognized with the effects of marriage. This guide explains the requirements of common-law marriage — five years of cohabitation, singularity and stability, and legal capacity to marry — how it is declared, and its legal effects on property and inheritance.
Panama is an accessible place to marry as a foreigner, even without residency. This guide explains the documents you must bring apostilled from your home country, the sworn single-status declaration made in Panama, why the notary route is usually fastest for non-residents, and how to ensure your marriage is also valid abroad.
Marrying changes your property regime, whether or not you choose it. This guide explains what marital agreements (capitulaciones) are in Panama, which regime applies by default when none is agreed — participation in acquired gains — and why deciding the economic regime before marrying is one of the most important financial decisions of your life.
When one spouse cannot attend, Panama's Family Code allows marriage by proxy: the absent person grants a special power of attorney so a third party represents them at the ceremony. This guide explains when it is used, how the power is granted, and the care it requires.
When a couple with children separates in Panama, three distinct legal concepts govern what happens next: parental authority (patria potestad), custody (guarda y crianza), and visitation rights (régimen de visitas). This guide explains each one under the Family Code (Law 3 of 1994), when parental authority can be suspended or lost, and the best-interest-of-the-child standard that governs every decision.
Panamanian law recognizes five distinct routes to establish a child's paternity — voluntary, legal, judicial, testamentary, and posthumous-child recognition — plus a challenge process with a one-year deadline from registration. This guide explains each route, the decisive role of DNA testing, and who bears its cost depending on the outcome.
The prenuptial agreement exists in Panama through the figure of marital agreements. This guide explains what can be agreed before marrying, who benefits most (prior assets, business owners, second marriages), and how to draft it so it is clear, balanced and effective.
If you married outside Panama and want your marriage to have effects here, it must be formally recognized. This guide explains how to register in Panama a marriage held abroad — apostille, translation and registration — and, conversely, how to make a Panamanian marriage valid abroad.
Before setting a date, get your paperwork in order. This guide gathers the complete list of requirements to marry civilly in Panama — identity documents, prenuptial medical certificate, witnesses and the process — under the Family Code, and flags what changes when one spouse is a foreigner.
Beyond ordinary civil marriage, Panama's Family Code regulates several special marriages for particular situations: by proxy, in imminent danger of death, aboard a ship or aircraft, common-law marriage, and among indigenous groups. This guide explains each and when it applies.
In Panama a civil marriage can be held through several routes — notary, municipal family court and Civil Registry — and the choice affects speed, cost and convenience. This guide compares the options and explains which usually suits residents and which suits foreigners and couples on a tight schedule.
A complete guide to divorce in Panama under the Family Code (Law 3 of 1994): jurisdiction of the family courts, divorce by mutual consent versus contested divorce, grounds, the process and timelines, dissolution of the marital property regime, child custody and support, and a dedicated section for international couples and foreign residents.