In the coming year, separated parents will have to support their children with more maintenance. The minimum maintenance for minors is thus increased again. More must also be paid for adult children of separation. As always, the child benefit is offset against the need.
Separated fathers or mothers have to pay their children more maintenance in the new year. This results from the new Düsseldorf table, which the family courts use to orient themselves when determining maintenance. This will be changed on January 1st. The Düsseldorf table is published by the Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court.
The minimum maintenance for minor children from January 1st up to the age of 6 (1st age group) is 437 instead of 396 euros, for the period from 7 to 12 years of age (2nd age group) 502 instead of before 455 euros and for the period from the age of 13 to the age of majority (3rd age group) 588 instead of the previous 533 euros per month.
These amounts correspond to the needs rates of the first income group (up to 1900 euros) of the Düsseldorf table. This increase in the minimum subsistence allowance also leads to a change in the requirement rates for the second to tenth income groups in the table. As in the past, they will be increased by 5 percent in each of the second to fifth income groups and by 8 percent in each of the sixth to tenth income groups.
The necessary personal needs to be left to the maintenance debtor for the non-employed maintenance debtor are 1120 euros (instead of the previous 960) and for the employed maintenance debtor 1370 euros (instead of the previous 1160). When calculating the necessary deductible, a requirement rate of 502 euros was taken into account in accordance with the citizen’s income.
The benefit rates for adult children will also be increased as of January 1, 2023. As in 2022, they are 125 percent of the requirement rates for the 2nd age group, i.e. 627.50 euros. The requirement rate for students who do not live with their parents or one of their parents will be increased from 860 euros in 2022 to 930 euros (including 410 euros for warm rent).
The child benefit is to be offset against the needs of the child. In the case of underage children, half of this is usually offset against the maintenance requirement and in the case of adult children the full amount.
Child benefit is currently EUR 219 for the first and second child, EUR 225 for a third child and EUR 250 for the fourth and each additional child. In 2023, the child benefit per child will be 250 euros. Compared to 2022, this means an increase of 31 euros for the 1st and 2nd child and 25 euros for the 3rd child. Child benefit is paid until the child is 18 years old. Under certain conditions, parents can also get it for adult children. Prerequisite: They are in training.
The exact resulting amount can be read from the tables in the appendix to the Düsseldorf table here. This only includes regular payments for general living expenses. Unforeseeable expenses may have to be paid separately.
The Düsseldorf table has no legal force per se, but has been used by courts since 1962 as a standard and guideline for calculating maintenance, especially child support.
