Maintenance / Unterhalt

Reciprocal maintenance claims by the parents

A child's father and mother can claim maintenance from each other if they are living separately and are/were married to each other.

The mother of a child born outside marriage can only claim maintenance from the child's father in exceptional circumstances, e.g. for six weeks before and eight weeks after the birth of the child.

The child.s entitlement to maintenance

Every child entitled to maintenance, regardless of whether it is born in or out of marriage, is entitled to receive the standard maintenance based on the Düsseldorf Table (see www.bmfsfj.de).

If, for example, the mother meets her maintenance obligations by looking after and bringing up the child, the father is required to make a monthly maintenance payment. The amount depends on the age of the child and the income of the parent required to pay maintenance. If the latter only earns a low income, the requirement to pay maintenance is calculated up the amount needed to cover his own upkeep. Information on child maintenance, child custody, etc is available in the leaflet "Das Kindschaftsrecht" published by the Federal Ministry of Justice.

Information can be obtained from the relevant Youth Welfare Office / Jugendamt.