This paper analyses the practices of conflict resolution in civil suits for pensions in Central Chile between 1788 and 1840 from a gender perspective. These claims were well received by the judges and the claimants were granted alimony. Yet, in general, women did not file lawsuits as soon as their marital conflicts began. It becomes, thus, necessary to ask why the applicants in this study took so long to file a maintenance claim? To answer to this question, we will make recourse to the concept of “negotiated justice”, which teaches us about the practices and negotiation strategies among those involved.