The current legislation provides that parents are obliged to support their children until they reach the age of majority, that is, up to 18 years. Sometimes this circumstance causes a lot of controversy and disagreement, because not everyone succeeds in maintaining the well-being and integrity of the family. In such situations, the issue of paying child support arises and sometimes it is very acute. For this reason, it is worth understanding what the law says about this.

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What is child support?

Alimony is money paid to support a child by one of the parents who does not live with him or raise him. They are paid until the eighteenth birthday of the alimony recipient or until the end of his studies, since obtaining an education can also be a reason for deducting alimony. But there is a nuance here, if the offspring is studying by correspondence and does not work at the same time, then there is a small probability that he will be awarded financial assistance.

Alimony for children can be paid both voluntarily and compulsorily. In the first case, there should be some agreement between the parents about the procedure and method of supporting the child. It can be both oral and written. The contract can be drawn up with a notary, after which it becomes legally binding. It is necessary to enforce alimony for children when the alimony refuses to pay it of his own free will. This happens quite often. Then you have to go to court.

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Alimony amount

The law clearly specifies the amount of alimony deducted for the maintenance of a child, it depends on the amount of income received by the alimony, but it cannot be less than 30% of the subsistence minimum for a child of a certain age. Cash can be accrued in two different forms:

• Part of the earnings;
• A solid amount of money.

The portion of income may vary and depends on the number of children. One child is usually allocated a quarter of the parent’s income, two – a third, three or more – half. By law, the amount of alimony cannot exceed 50% of the alimony’s earnings.

When calculating a fixed amount, various factors are taken into account:

• Parent’s income;
• Amount of children;
• Children’s age;
• The health status of the paying parent.

The fixed sum of money has a significant drawback – it cannot be changed if the alimony’s income level has increased. A fixed rate is usually applied when income is unstable and the parent does not have a permanent job.

The minimum amount of child support was changed in 2016 and is currently for children under 6 years old:

• 368 UAH 40 kopecks;
• From December 1, 2016 – 393 UAH 90 kopecks.

For children from 6 to 18 years old:

• Now 459 UAH 30 kopecks;
• From December 1, 2016 – 491 UAH 10 kopecks.

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How to file for alimony in Ukraine

To collect alimony from one of the parents, you will need to draw up a statement of claim. It must be filled in block letters and in Ukrainian. The rules for filling out the statement of claim are specified in Art. 119 Code of Civil Procedure of Ukraine:

• The name of the court is indicated;
• Full name of the person who submits the application and the defendant, their place of residence and contacts;
• The text of the statement: the claims of the plaintiff and their reasons, evidence confirming the reasons.

Other documents will also be required:

• Copy of marriage certificate;
• A copy of the child’s birth certificate;
• Plaintiff’s passport details;
• Other documents that can help to claim alimony.

The court fee is not required to be paid, it will be withheld from the defendant. The statement of claim for the recovery of alimony is submitted in triplicate to the local district court or to the office of the defendant at the place of residence. One copy remains in court, the second is sent to the defendant, and the third, with a note of acceptance, is handed over to confirm the filing.

If the spouses are divorced, a copy of the court decision on divorce is submitted instead of the marriage certificate.

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Return to content in article:

• What is child support?
• Alimony amounts and minimum payments
• About filing a claim for the recovery of alimony in Ukraine