Family matters - Determining child maintenance in the simplified procedure

• Parent-child relationship The person from whom maintenance (Unterhalt) is being claimed must be a parent. Maintenance cannot be claimed from stepparents, for example. • Being a minor The child requiring maintenance must be a minor up until the application is received by the court. • Separate households The child requiring maintenance must not live in the same household as the parent from whom maintenance is being claimed. • No other maintenance title There must not yet be any court decision or enforceable deed regarding the maintenance being claimed. There must also be no proceedings concerning the maintenance being claimed pending before a court. • prior extrajudicial request Maintenance can only be claimed for the past if you have asked the parent liable for maintenance to provide information about their assets and income, in order to assert the maintenance claim.

• Application for the determination of maintenance (Unterhalt) (under "Formulare" [forms]) You must use the official form to submit the application. It must be completed in full and signed.

• Antrag auf Festsetzung von Unterhalt (Application for the Determination of Maintenance) <https://www.bmjv.de/SharedDocs/Downloads/DE/Formular/Antrag_auf_Festsetzung_von_Kindesunterhalt_2017.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=4> • Merkblatt zum Antrag auf Festsetzung von Unterhalt im vereinfachten Verfahren (Information Sheet on the Application for the Determination of Maintenance in the Simplified Procedure) <https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwihvJny3vmQAxW2lf0HHdNIPUkQFnoECCIQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bmjv.de%2FSharedDocs%2FDownloads%2FDE%2FFormular%2Fvereinfachtes_Verfahren_Unterhalt_Merkblatt_Antragsformular.pdf%3F__blob%3DpublicationFile%26v%3D5&usg=AOvVaw2y8nqhpZtVaQQ2t-3dGSVR&opi=89978449> • Weitere Antragsformulare Kindesunterhalt (Further Application Forms for Child Maintenance) www.bmjv.de/DE/service/formulare/form_kindesunterhalt/form_k

Fees arise in the proceedings, based on the value of the proceedings. They become due once the proceedings have concluded, when the court decides on the maintenance application.

• Gesetz über das Verfahren in Familiensachen und in den Angelegenheiten der freiwilligen Gerichtsbarkeit (FamFG) [Act on Proceedings in Family Matters and in Matters of Non-Contentious Jurisdiction], §§ 249 et seq. www.gesetze-im-internet.de/famfg/BJNR258700008.html#BJNR2587 • Gesetz über Gerichtskosten in Familiensachen (FamGKG) [Act on Court Costs in Family Matters] - Annex 2 www.gesetze-im-internet.de/famgkg/anlage_2.html • Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch (BGB) [German Civil Code], § 1612a para. 1 - minimum child maintenance (Mindestunterhalt) www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bgb/__1612a.html

• Voluntary acknowledgment of maintenance (service) service.berlin.de/dienstleistung/326081/ • Determine child maintenance (service) service.berlin.de/dienstleistung/327362/ • Directory of Locations and Courts (Justizportal, Justice Portal) www.justizadressen.nrw.de/de/justiz/suche

The Amtsgericht (Familiengericht) [local court (family court)] in whose district the child has their habitual residence is responsible for the simplified procedure. You can find the court responsible for you in the Orts- und Gerichtsverzeichnis (directory of towns and courts) (see "Further information").