Child support calculator

The child support calculator is a tool that helps parents reach an agreement on the minimum child support to be paid to the child. In accordance with the Family Law Act, the amount of child support is calculated on the basis of a formula that takes into account the most important circumstances related to the life of the child and their parent.

However, the court may award child support in an amount different from that calculated below, based on the actual needs of the child (including special needs), the financial situation of each parent, the division of the costs of the child between the parents, other dependents in the family, or other grounds set out in the Family Law Act.

The amount of child support is calculated on the basis of a base amount of 200 euros per month.

The base amount of child support is half the average monthly maintenance cost of a child. The base amount is adjusted by the change in the consumer price index of the previous year on 1 April each year.

The statutory minimum child support is calculated on the basis of the average gross monthly wages in Estonia.

The average gross monthly wages are adjusted on the basis of the data of the previous year on 1 April each year.

Data must be entered for all shared children under the age of 18 living in the family of the parent claiming child support – even if you do not want to calculate child support for all shared minor children.

Enter the average number of days per month that the child spends with the obligated parent in a year (school holidays, etc. should also be taken into account when calculating the average). This period may be laid down in a court order or agreed by the parents.

If the child stays with the other parent for an average of seven to fifteen days a month during the year, the amount of child support is reduced in proportion to the time spent with the obligated parent, as the other parent then also incurs costs for directly caring for the children.

Please note! There is a calculation error in the explanatory memorandum of the draft. The calculator must be followed as it is in accordance with the law.

Child allowance and half of the allowance for a family with many children (that is divided equally in favor of both parents and with the number of children receiving the allowance) are taken into account when determining the amount of child support. The parent does not have to provide maintenance child support to the extent that the needs of the child can be met at the expense of these allowances.

• Child allowance is euros for the first and second child in the family. Child allowance is (that is divided equally with the number of children receiving the allowance) euros for the third and each subsequent child.
• A family raising at least three children who are entitled to child allowance is paid an allowance for a family with many children. The allowance for a family with many children is euros for a family with three to six children and euros for a family with seven or more children.When calculationg the amount of child support, half of the allowance for a family with many children is taken into account.
• It is necessary to enter the total number of children in the family receiving allowance for a family with many children (in addition to Shared minor children for whom child support is calculated, other children growing up in the family are also taken into account).
  For example: child support is calculated for 2 shared minor children, but the parent claiming child support has one more child, which means the family also receives allowance for a family with many children. In that case, data for shared minor children is entered for whom child support is calculated and the total number of children in the family receiving allowance for a family with many children is 3.

• Right for continued allowance for a family with many children is for those who are entitled to the allowance on or after 1st of January 2023.
• Every child is entitled for child allowance from birth to 19 years of age. A child who has reached the age of 19 and who is studying in primary school, secondary school or vocational training, or who is included in the list of the advanced training course of a state institution managed by the Ministry of Social Affairs, has the right for child allowance until the end of the current academic year or the course of further training, or until the student is removed from the list of the school or the advanced training course.
• Continued allowance for a family with many children is paid in the amount of two thirds of the amount of the allowance (that is 433,33 euros), if the family has two children who are entitled to child allowance.
• Continued allowance for a family with many children is paid in the amount of one thirds of the amount of the allowance (that is 216,67 euros), if the family has one child who is entitled to child allowance.

When calculating the amount of child support, half from the continued allowance for a family with many children is taken into account. Half of the allowance is divided equally in favor of both parents and then it is divided by the number of children for whom the allowance for a family with many children is received.