Custody

A parent could temporarily or permanently¹ lose legal custody of his/her child based on a number of circumstances, including:

• abandoning the child without a good reason to do so (“just cause”);
• putting the child at risk of emotional, mental, and physical harm or letting someone else inflict that harm on the child; or
• a criminal conviction for certain crimes, including:
  
  • child abuse;
  • not paying child support;
  • domestic violence;
  • sexual assault;
  • kidnapping; and
  • illegal restriction of custody rights; and
• any of the additional reasons listed in Article 615 of the law.²

Note: A parent shouldn’t lose legal custody for being abused by the other parent unless the judge finds that the abused parent voluntarily and knowingly participated in child abuse or neglect.³

¹ 31 L.P.R.A. §§ 7313 & 7324
² 31 L.P.R.A. § 7322
³ 31 L.P.R.A. § 7323