⚖️ Child Support & Legal Exposure
How exposed are you, country by country?
One question, answered for the person who might owe money: how exposed am I here? Five things per country — child support, alimony, cohabitation claims, whether a prenup works, and Hague cross-border collection — each rated with one rule: green is good for you, red is bad for you. Start with the map, then tap any country for the full plain-English picture.
✅ good for you · ⚠️ medium · 🚨 bad for you — everything is from the payer's perspective. Prenup ✅ means a prenup actually protects you here. Hague 🚨 means the country is in the 2007 Hague Convention, so a US support order can be collected from you across the border.
Data last updated · Source: Curated legal research (see per-country sources)
How this dashboard works
Each of the 100 countries is scored on two axes from the payer's perspective: how large the obligation runs (child support formulas, alimony duration, property division, cohabitation claims) and how hard the state collects (wage garnishment, license and passport suspension, jail for contempt, and whether the country enforces foreign orders under the 2007 Hague Maintenance Convention). The scatter chart plots exactly those two scores, so the dangerous quadrant — big obligations, aggressive collection — is visible at a glance.
Every rating is backed by cited sources in the country's popup, with a confidence level. The five chips follow the site-wide rule: green is favorable for the payer, red is not. Whether a prenup is actually enforceable and whether unmarried cohabitation can create claims get their own ratings because they surprise people most.
Can US child support be enforced abroad?
Often, yes. The US has bilateral arrangements and treaty relationships with dozens of countries, and 2007 Hague Maintenance Convention members enforce each other's support orders. US-specific tools also follow you: passport denial for arrears over $2,500, and garnishment of US-source income regardless of where you live. Each country's popup rates how actively it enforces foreign orders.
Which countries do not enforce foreign child support orders?
A shrinking list. Countries outside the Hague system with weak bilateral ties to the US enforce foreign orders poorly or not at all — but the underlying obligation never disappears, and arrears wait for you in any country that does cooperate. The map's "collection strength" axis shows the current picture.
Are prenups enforceable everywhere?
No. Enforceability ranges from reliably yes (most US states, much of Europe with notarization) to advisory-only (England historically) to meaningless under community-property or Sharia-influenced regimes. The prenup chip rates each country, with the caveat that no country lets a prenup waive child support.
Can an unmarried partner claim support or property?
In a surprising number of places, yes — several countries grant cohabiting partners marriage-like rights after a period of living together (parts of Latin America, Canada, Australia, Scandinavia). The cohabitation chip flags where simply sharing an address creates financial exposure.
Is this legal advice?
No — it's a comparative research reference with cited sources and confidence levels. Family law is intensely fact-specific and changes; consult a licensed family-law attorney in the relevant country before making decisions.