What constitutes the reasonable needs of a child?
Reasonable needs of children include food, clothing, accommodation and medical expenses. This is the basics, but if the parents can maintain a higher standard of living this may include any extramural activities as well. Only once it is clear what the child in question basic needs are can an amount be determined what will constitute reasonable maintenance. Only after this amount is established it can be calculated what portion each parent or guardian must contribute, naturally still within their means. It is quite safe to expect the parent or guardian with the highest disposable income to contribute the most to the maintenance, even if this parent or guardian is not the primary caregiver of the child.
Can you expect any challenges regarding the calculation of maintenance amounts?
The best interest of the child is of paramount importance. Thus, however does not mean the child must have the most expensive clothing, attend the most expensive school or dine out regularly. The best interest of the child is determined by what you and the co-parent or guardian can afford. If a parent is self-employed with an income that varies one needs to look at the average the parent earns each month over an extended period of time. With an unemployed parent one needs to look at their means.
What factors will the court consider in determining maintenance?
Factors may overlap, but consist mainly of the following: Reasonable needs of the minor child; Reasonable expenses of the parents; Standard of living the child was accustomed to before; Earning capacity of the parents; Assets of the parents; It is clear that every child of the same age and same socio-economic background will not require the same maintenance amount, so similarities with other children with a similar background cannot be used to determine the maintenance amount.