Child maintenance – how much and how it is calculated

01Minimum maintenance from 1 July 2026

Regardless of their income and assets, every parent must pay maintenance of at least 30 % of the subsistence minimum for a dependent child (Section 62(3) of the Family Act – zákon o rodine, Act No. 36/2005 Coll.).

• subsistence minimum for a dependent child from 1 July 2026: €134.80 a month,
• minimum maintenance from 1 July 2026: €40.44 a month per child.

The amount changes every year on 1 July together with the subsistence minimum. This is the statutory minimum – in practice, courts usually set maintenance higher, according to the child's needs and the parent's means.

02What the court considers when setting the amount

• the child's reasonable needs – food, housing, clothing, school, after-school activities, health, holidays,
• the parent's abilities, means and financial circumstances – not only actual income but also what the parent could earn; the court also takes into account a parent giving up better-paid employment or earnings without good reason,
• the parents' standard of living – the child has the right to share in the parents' standard of living,
• personal care – the court takes into account which parent personally cares for the child, and to what extent,
• savings – if the parent's circumstances allow, the court may designate part of the maintenance for savings in a separate account in the child's name.

03A parent with business income

A parent who has income from business or from activities other than employment must prove that income to the court and submit documents about his or her assets. If the parent fails to do so, his or her average monthly income is presumed to be twenty times the subsistence minimum.

In doing so, the court disregards expenses that did not have to be incurred – it assesses the income the parent would have had without them.

04Example: how a child's needs are calculated

An illustrative example of the monthly needs of a 10-year-old child (not a prediction of a court decision):

• food and hygiene: €200
• share of housing and utilities: €120
• clothing and footwear: €45
• school, supplies, school lunches: €50
• after-school club and sport: €45
• health, medicines, other: €20
• total: €480 a month

Both parents bear these needs – each according to his or her means. The parent who has custody of the child also fulfils part of the maintenance obligation through personal care. The resulting amount therefore depends on both parents' incomes and on how they share the care of the child.

Clients of our firm have a maintenance calculation available in their online access to the case, where they can set out the child's needs and the parents' incomes clearly.

05How to proceed

1. Agreement between the parents – if the parents reach an agreement, the court approves the maintenance agreement. Only then is it binding and enforceable.
2. Petition to the court – if agreement is not possible, the court sets maintenance on a parent's petition. Proceedings concerning the care of minor children are exempt from court fees.
3. Change of circumstances – if there is a substantial change in income or in the child's needs, an increase or reduction of maintenance may be sought.
4. Enforcement – late-payment interest may also be claimed on unpaid maintenance. The right to maintenance itself does not become time-barred, but individual instalments do.

06Frequently asked questions

What is the minimum child maintenance in 2026?

From 1 July 2026 it is €40.44 a month per child – 30 % of the subsistence minimum for a dependent child (€134.80). The amount changes every year on 1 July.

Is there a court fee for a maintenance petition?

No. Proceedings concerning the court's care for minor children, which include maintenance for a minor child, are exempt from court fees.

Can maintenance be awarded retrospectively?

Maintenance is awarded from the day the court proceedings began. For a minor child it may be awarded up to three years retrospectively where there are reasons deserving special consideration.

Until when is maintenance paid?

Parents' maintenance obligation lasts until the child is able to support himself or herself. It therefore does not end automatically when the child turns 18 – for example, it continues beyond adulthood while the child is studying.

What if the other parent claims to have no income?

The court also considers what the parent could earn. If a parent with business income does not prove his or her income, it is presumed that he or she earns twenty times the subsistence minimum.