Support Calculator

Support is one of those topics where everyone has an opinion and almost nobody knows the numbers. After a separation the questions come fast: what is the child entitled to, what does the ex-partner get, and what is left for you to live on? The support calculator answers exactly these in three tabs - child support, separation support and post-marital support - each with the official 2026 figures.

Child support runs on the Duesseldorf Table, published by the Higher Regional Court of Duesseldorf and used as the nationwide benchmark. You enter your adjusted net income and each child's age, the calculator picks the right income level (from level 1 to 15), deducts half or the full child benefit and shows the payable amount per child. Child benefit has been 259 euros per child since 1 January 2026. The four age brackets 0-5, 6-11, 12-17 and 18+ are exactly the tiers the table uses to scale the need.

Spousal support uses the 3/7 method, also called the difference method. Simplified: the lower adjusted net income is subtracted from the higher one, and the claimant receives 3/7 of that difference. Child support is deducted from the payer's income first, because children come before spouses. The tool works this through cleanly and shows who owes whom how much - during the separation year (Section 1361 BGB) and after divorce (Sections 1569ff BGB).

Self-retention is the floor that must remain yours. In 2026 an employed person paying for minor children keeps 1,450 euros, an unemployed one 1,200 euros, towards adult children 1,750 euros and towards a spouse 1,600 euros. If your remaining income drops below that line, the calculator warns you - and in a shortfall case reduces the amounts proportionally by the priority order of Section 1609 BGB.

If the other parent pays nothing at all, the state steps in: the support advance (UVG) is paid by the Youth Welfare Office and equals the minimum support minus the full child benefit. The calculator explains the requirements and the documents you need at the office. And for anything beyond the standard need, there is an overview of special needs (one-off and unforeseeable, such as a school trip or braces) and additional needs (ongoing and foreseeable, such as daycare or tutoring).

Important and honest: this is orientation, not legal advice. The real calculation depends on many fine points - work-related expenses, other dependents, employment obligations, marriage-related disadvantages, housing benefit. For a binding order you need the Youth Welfare Office or a lawyer. But you walk into that conversation with a solid ballpark instead of a question mark. You can download the result as a PDF or copy it.