Family Law Attorneys
Over 20 years of experience · 95% success rate
We protect your rights with experience, commitment, and proven results. Specialists in family law in Bogotá with coverage throughout Colombia.
Comprehensive legal representation across all areas of family law, with a strategic and human-centered approach.
Mutual agreement and contentious divorce. Marital property division, child custody, child support and visitation rights.
Estate planning, wills, inheritance distribution, notarial and judicial succession. Protecting your family legacy.
Paternity establishment and challenge proceedings with DNA testing. Defense of both the child's and the father's rights.
Domestic and international adoption. Full guidance through ICBF and all competent authorities.
Hernández Peraza & Asociados is a law firm with over two decades of experience in Colombian family law. Our track record speaks for itself: we have represented hundreds of families in Bogotá and across the country.
We specialize in divorce, inheritance, paternity challenges and adoption. Our 95% success rate reflects the commitment and dedication we bring to every case.
We serve both local and international clients. We can litigate in any city throughout Colombia.
The satisfaction of those we have represented is our strongest endorsement.
“After a difficult divorce, the team gave me the peace of mind I needed. They secured a fair agreement for me and my children.”
“Thanks to them, my son was able to meet his father and assert his rights. The paternity process was faster than I imagined.”
“Our family inheritance was settled without disputes or delays. Professionalism and warmth during a difficult time.”
Useful information about family law in Colombia.
In Colombia, 51% of children live without their father present, according to data from Profamilia and the Ministry of Health and Social Protection cited by Universidad de La Sabana[1]. A study by Universidad de La Sabana reveals that over 80% of children are raised exclusively by their mothers[2], making Colombia the country with the most single mothers heading households in the world.
This reality affects not only children's emotional well-being but also their legal and economic rights. According to the Colombian Attorney General's Office, between 2010 and 2019 Colombia accumulated 717,669 complaints for failure to pay child support, averaging 71,766 cases per year[3]. Between 2020 and 2022 alone, over 100,000 cases were registered[3].
Colombian law provides clear mechanisms to protect children's rights: paternity investigation allows legally establishing who the biological father is through DNA testing, even without voluntary recognition. Paternity challenges are the legal remedy when there are doubts about registered paternity.
Child support is a non-waivable right of the child. According to ICBF, in 2024 there were 80,029 conciliation cases for food, visitation and custody and 41,611 additional requests directly for child support[4]. Non-payment can lead to wage garnishment, bank account seizures, property liens, and criminal consequences under Article 233 of the Penal Code.
If you or someone you know is facing a situation involving paternity, child support, or child recognition, having specialized legal counsel makes all the difference. At Hernández Peraza & Asociados, we have guided dozens of families through these processes.
[1] Universidad de La Sabana. "La importancia de la paternidad en el desarrollo de los niños". Citing Profamilia and Ministry of Health data.
[2] Revista Semana. "80% of children born in Colombia are raised only by their mothers". Universidad de La Sabana study.
[3] Attorney General's Office, cited in Pantallazos Noticias. "Salary increase impacts child support payments in Colombia". 2026.
[4] ICBF. "Caracterización de Peticionarios 2024". Pages 12-13.
Contact us for a consultation →Child support is one of the fundamental rights of minors in Colombia. According to DANE's 2024 National Quality of Life Survey, 46.5% of Colombian households are headed by women, representing 8.5 million households[1]. Of these, 37.7% live in monetary poverty, compared to 29.5% of male-headed households[2].
What does child support cover? Under the Childhood and Adolescence Code (Law 1098 of 2006) and ICBF guidelines, child support must cover food, housing, clothing, education, healthcare, recreation, and transportation[3].
How is it calculated? The judge evaluates two factors: the child's needs and the obligated parent's financial capacity. In practice, support ranges from 20% to 40% of the obligated parent's monthly income. For parents without fixed income, the judge may set support in multiples of the Colombian minimum wage (SMMLV).
What happens if payments stop? Non-payment of child support constitutes the crime of failure to provide child support (Article 233 of the Penal Code), punishable by 1 to 5 years in prison. According to the Attorney General's Office, over 15,948 proceedings were initiated in 2025 for this crime[4]. The judge can order wage garnishment, bank account seizures, vehicle and property liens, and inclusion in the REDAM (Delinquent Child Support Debtors Registry), created by Law 2097 of 2021.
How long must support be paid? The obligation extends until the child turns 25, provided they are studying and financially dependent on their parents. It may also continue if the child has a disability.
At Hernández Peraza & Asociados we handle child support claims, increases, reductions, and terminations. We also represent parents who need to regularize their payment situation.
[1] DANE. National Quality of Life Survey (ECV) 2024. Household composition.
[2] DANE. Monetary poverty with differential approach 2024. Poverty by sex of household head.
[3] ICBF. "Child Support Determination". ICBF Portal.
[4] Attorney General's Office, cited in Pantallazos Noticias. "Salary increase impacts child support payments". 2026.
Request a consultation →More and more international couples are choosing Colombia to finalize their divorce. Whether one spouse is a foreigner, they married in Colombia but live abroad, or they simply seek a more streamlined process, divorce in Colombia offers significant advantages.
Can a foreigner get divorced in Colombia? Yes. Colombian law allows foreigners to divorce as long as at least one spouse is domiciled in Colombia. If both live abroad but married in Colombia, they can also file for divorce before a Colombian notary or judge.
Notarial vs. judicial divorce. If both agree and there are no minor children, a notarial divorce is possible (faster, 2-4 weeks). If minor children are involved or there is disagreement, a judicial divorce is required. In both cases, a Colombian attorney must represent them.
International recognition. A divorce obtained in Colombia is valid in most countries through exequatur (recognition of foreign judgments). For couples from the US, Europe, and Latin America, the recognition process is usually straightforward.
Required documents: Passport or ID, Colombian marriage certificate (or apostilled foreign certificate), domicile certificate, and divorce agreement if mutual. All foreign documents must be apostilled and translated into Spanish.
At Hernández Peraza & Asociados we serve international clients fluently in English and Spanish, and handle the entire process including exequatur of your divorce abroad.
Schedule a consultation →We are ready to hear your case. Schedule a consultation and receive clear, confidential legal guidance.