Family in St Vincent and Grenadines

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has no single family office or one procedure covering every family matter. The main public services are divided between the Family Court, the Family Services Division, Family Affairs and Gender Affairs, the Child Development Division, social welfare, the Ministry of Health, the RSVG Police Force and the Civil Registry. Some support is formal and court-based; other help is provided through counselling, social work, health centres, household care or community services. Marriage formalities depend on the licence and ceremony chosen. A Registrar's Licence uses EC$15 in Revenue Stamps, while a Governor General's Licence costs EC$525 in cash and is issued in one day. Each licence is valid for three months. A Registrar's notice normally remains posted for seven consecutive days. Couples arriving from abroad may need to be present for at least 24 hours or 15 clear days, depending on the licensing process. A Civil Registry marriage costs EC$50 in stamps and requires two witnesses; a Registrar's marriage costs EC$150. Parents are responsible for registering a birth in the district where it occurred. Registration within three months is free. For a married couple, either parent may register the birth; for an unmarried mother, the mother's registration is possible, while adding the father's name requires both parents to be present. Adding paternity is free within the first year and costs EC$20 in stamps from one year onward. Late registration can require additional time, documents and expense. The Family Court in the Civil Registry Building handles child and spousal maintenance, custody and access, care and protection, adoption, domestic violence, counselling and mediation. A frontline officer can direct an applicant to the appropriate service. Hearings are held in private. The main court is in Kingstown, Monday to Friday, with additional sittings on Bequia, Canouan and Union Island. A parent, guardian, actual custodian or a person responsible for someone unable to support themselves may apply for maintenance. A child over 16 who attends school may apply personally. The application normally requires identification, the child's birth certificate, information about the respondent and EC$1.20 in stamps. The court sets a hearing date and the Bailiff serves the summons. Payments can be made through the Family Court or a bank. The court can vary or discharge an order. An arrears application should be made within 16 weeks, or four months. Continued non-payment can lead to arrears proceedings or a committal warrant. Domestic violence includes physical, sexual, verbal, emotional, psychological and economic abuse, as well as intimidation, harassment, stalking, property damage and unauthorised entry. Protection can cover a spouse, cohabitant, family member, child, dependant or person sharing a household. The affected person, a child, dependant, parent or sibling, the Police, the Director, a Probation Officer or an approved social worker may seek an order. Identification and EC$1.20 in stamps are normally required. A court date should be set within seven working days. An ex parte or interim order can last for up to seven days. Report a breach to the Police; breach consequences can include arrest, a fine or imprisonment. The Child Development Division responds to child protection concerns. Police officers, medical staff and teachers have a duty to report suspected abuse or neglect. Official records identified about 183 local reports in 2025 while also noting underreporting. A report can lead to social-work assessment, protection measures and coordination with health, police or court services. Adoption applications go to the Secretary of the Adoption Board or Committee and require a Board recommendation, a social inquiry or home study and a Social Worker report. The documents are then sent to the President of the Family Court. Foster care may be emergency, temporary or long-term. Social workers visit regularly, the State can provide financial assistance and foster care is not a salary. Biological parents are expected to contribute when they can, and services should support reunification when that serves the child's welfare. Family Services provides counselling across the country and can arrange alternative homes for abused children or older people, foster care, probation and social inquiry reports, help with non-maintenance matters and financial assistance for older people, orphans and people who are destitute or indigent. Related support includes Poor Relief, the Home Help Care programme, the Lewis Punnett Home and the Child Abuse Prevention programme, which combines parenting and after-school support for low-income or unemployed parents. A coffin may be provided for an indigent family without a Friendly Society. The Lewis Punnett Home has a waiting list. The National Family Planning Programme, operated by the Ministry of Health, provides contraception, sterilisation, screening, counselling and follow-up through 38 health centres. Services are available across the country and address adolescents, women of reproductive age and men. The programme is designed to be free from coercion. Separation and divorce are dealt with through the High Court under the Matrimonial Causes Act. The process moves from a decree nisi to a decree absolute. Before the decree absolute, the court must be satisfied that arrangements for minor children are adequate. Financial provision and property adjustment may also be requested. Current official family sources do not establish general filing fees or uniform deadlines for adoption and divorce, so the court or a legal adviser should confirm the current requirements. Older age, disability, illness and death can shift care responsibilities within a family. The 2026 budget records that people over 65 make up about 14.4% of the population and gives a total age-dependency ratio of 52%. The Home Help Programme is being expanded. Vulnerability Grants cover older people, people with disabilities and people who are medically unfit, while Emergency Grants can address funeral, medical, utility and back-to-school costs. A death should be registered within three days by a relative, informant or funeral director. Burial or cremation takes place only after registration. Registration after 12 months requires approval from the Registrar General. The death certificate is used for burial, estate administration, insurance, National Insurance Scheme matters and widows' or orphans' benefits. For 2026, Poor Relief is listed at EC$500 per month for 4,614 beneficiaries. A Family Support Grant, Family Life Education, Skills and WE CAN initiatives were announced, and an eligibility review was announced for completion by March 2026. The post-review criteria are not confirmed in the available official material. Some service pages still refer to the former Ministry of National Mobilisation, while current portfolios place responsibilities mainly with the Ministry of Family and Gender Affairs, Persons with Disabilities and Labour and the Ministry of Social Welfare, Community Empowerment, Ecclesiastical Affairs and National Heritage. Family Services is located on Pauls Avenue in Kingstown and is listed as open Monday to Friday from 8:00 to 16:15. The Family Court is in the Civil Registry Building with listed office hours of Monday to Friday from 8:00 to 16:15 and court hours from 9:00 to 16:00. Mobile court sittings improve access from other islands, and mediation or counselling may sometimes be available without an appointment. Exact current fees and filing timelines should be confirmed with the responsible office before submitting documents.