Child support in France
What it is for, how the amount is set, how long it is owed, and what happens when it is not paid.
A contribution, not compensation
Its proper name is the contribution to the child's maintenance and education. It is not money paid to the other parent for their own benefit: it covers the child's costs — food, clothing, housing, transport, school meals, healthcare, activities.
The obligation arises as soon as parentage is established, including by adoption. A frequently overlooked point: support may be owed even under alternating residence, where the two parents' incomes are significantly unequal.
How the amount is set
The amount takes into account each parent's resources, the child's needs and the residence arrangement in place. An official simulator gives an order of magnitude, but it is only indicative: the judge may freely set a different amount in light of the circumstances.
Support does not necessarily take the form of a monthly transfer. It may also consist of paying certain costs directly — schooling, healthcare, activities — or of making housing available.
It is index-linked each year
The court decision or the parental agreement usually includes an indexation clause allowing the amount to be adjusted annually. It is up to the paying parent to apply that adjustment on their own initiative, without waiting to be chased.
If circumstances change lastingly — income rising or falling, new costs tied to further education — the amount can be revised, either by agreement or before the judge.
Until when?
Support does not automatically stop when the child turns 18. This is one of the most common misunderstandings. It continues for as long as the child is not financially independent, which includes the duration of their studies, and may extend further in cases of disability.
When it is not paid
Non-payment is not merely a private debt. Beyond two months of arrears it constitutes the offence of abandonment of family, punishable by up to two years' imprisonment and a €15,000 fine.
There is also a non-criminal route: ARIPA handles the recovery of unpaid support and provides financial intermediation, meaning support is paid through it rather than directly from one parent to the other.