ABSTRACT
The net effect of the rules presently in force of property distribution, alimony, and child support is severe financial hardship for most divorced women and their children. The major economic result of the divorce law revolution liberalization of the 1970s is the systematic impoverishment of divorced women and their children. In Portugal, the parental obligation to support their children rests on father and mother. This obligation is to be shared in accordance with their respective abilities to earn and pay, render services, or other relevant circumstances. Escalation clauses may be included in the divorce settlement as concerns the divorce by mutual consent. Many of the grounds for modification concern changes in the financial condition or needs of either the parent or the child. The present child support system is deficient both in the determination of the amount of the award and in the collection of the support once an award is made.
