Age of legal majority is the minimum age defined by law for a person to begin to enjoy their rights and be held responsible for their acts. In Brazil, it is reached from the 18 years deity.
Civil majority means the person's capacity, before the law, to be responsible for their decisions, rights and obligations.
The definition of a minimum age for the individual to acquire their civil rights is based on need that there is intellectual and physical maturity so that the person can be responsible for some acts of life civil.
In most countries, the age of majority is also considered from the age of 18 or 21, with the exception of some nations like Saudi Arabia, Cambodia, North Korea, Iran and East Timor that are under 18 years old.
What does reaching the age of majority mean?
With the civil age of majority, the person has full rights over their decisions and this reflects so much on the exercise of rights, as in fulfillment of obligations.
Upon reaching the age of legal majority, citizens can act on their own, without the need for authorization from their parents or guardians. For example: you can get a driver's license, buy and sell real estate, start a business or get married.
Civilian majority also brings duties, such as the obligation to vote in elections.
Another example of a situation linked to the age of majority is the receipt of alimony. According to the Civil Code (Law No. 10.406/02), parents are no longer required to pay child support after their children turn 18 years of age.
Civil majority and cessation of civil incapacity
When a person reaches the age of majority, according to the law, ends your civil incapacity. For the Law, this incapacity means the impossibility of practicing the acts of civil life (rights and duties).
Therefore, when a person turns 18 and reaches the age of majority, their civil incapacity ends.
Civil majority in Brazil
With the publication of the new Civil Code, on January 10, 2002, the legal age of majority in Brazil is over 18 years of age. Before, according to the Civil Code of 1916, the civil majority was only from 21 years of age.
Article 5 of the Civil Code states that:
"THE Minority ceases at the age of 18, when the person is entitled to practice all acts of civil life".
Also according to article 5 of the Civil Code, the civil majority can be reached through some special conditions, such as:
- by marriage,
- by emancipation (which is only allowed from the age of 16),
- for the graduation in higher education,
- for the exercise of effective public employment,
- by employment relationship that guarantees their livelihood or by civil or commercial establishment.
Civilian majority can be advanced by the youth's emancipation from 16 years of age. It can happen because of the situations mentioned above, by parental authorization or by a court decision.
See more about emancipation in the articles Emancipation and Emancipation of Minors. Also read the meaning of Criminal majority.