Parental Leave Planner

Elternzeit is the employment-law right to step away from your job for up to three years per parent after the birth without losing it. Elterngeld is the benefit that funds part of that time. The two belong together but are applied for separately and follow different rules. The parental leave planner puts both layers on one timeline, so you do not plan in one spreadsheet and get an unpleasant surprise from the other.

The central question is the split. A couple can divide parental leave freely, take it simultaneously or one after the other, form blocks, and even defer part of it until the child's eighth birthday. Every choice has consequences: for the allowance, for the return to work, for childcare. The planner makes those consequences visible instead of hiding them in legal clauses.

You simply drag the months into place on the timeline: this block belongs to parent A, that one to parent B, here both work part-time, there the partnership bonus applies. As soon as you move something, the tool recalculates the income effect. So you see straight away whether the planned split tears a hole in the household budget or whether a different order leaves more at the end of the month.

The view of the partner months is especially valuable. For a couple to reach the full 14 months of basic Elterngeld, both must contribute at least two months. Ignore that and you throw away two months of benefit. The planner reminds you of thresholds like this and suggests splits that leave no entitlement on the table.

Part-time work during parental leave is another lever. You may work up to 32 hours a week and still be on Elternzeit. Combined with ElterngeldPlus, that can stretch the paid phase considerably. The tool shows how different hours models affect your monthly allowance and your combined net income.

Important: you must give your employer timely written notice of Elternzeit - usually seven weeks before it starts, and thirteen weeks for later segments. The planner keeps these notice deadlines in view so no window slips past you. It does not replace legal advice but gives you a solid basis for the conversation with your employer and the benefit office.

Everything runs in your browser. Your income data and the planned split stay on your device. No account, no transfer to a server, no sharing. You can calmly play through different scenarios until you land on the model both of you are happy with.