Guidelines for child support to be introduced

New child support guidelines are set to be introduced that will clarify and bring uniformity to monthly payments nationwide in a dramatic shift from current policies, which depend entirely on judicial discretion and vary from district to district.

The new guidelines were introduced by Justice Minister Daniela Kovářová and will be submitted to courts in the Czech Republic in May for a one-year trial period.

One single parent and divorced mother of four children (ages 25, 21, 15 and 12), Sylva Roglová, welcomed the guidelines, calling them a "real advance in this jungle, which gives us a good starting point."

"The existing laws are totally insufficient because they give absolute power to the judges," she said.

Under the guidelines, the percentage of income paid to each child increases with age. Payment for a child up to 5 years of age will range between 9 percent and 13 percent of the payee's income. For a child between ages 6 and 9, payments will range between 11 percent and 15 percent of income. Amounts gradually increase until age 18 and older, when payments top out between 20 percent and 24 percent of income.

"I am glad we managed to open the debate on child support," Kovářová said. "These specific tables should help to ensure that all children will participate in the living standards of their parents equally, no matter what region they live in."

Roglová claims the minimum amount for each child should be about 3,000 Kč monthly, the amount she gets for her second-oldest child. For the two younger ones, she only gets 1,800 Kč per month, she said. Roglová's eldest child helps by sending money or clothing for the rest of the family.

According to the Czech Statistical Office, the average monthly expenses for a 10-year-old child are about 7,500 Kč. For an 18-year-old, the cost is double that.

The new tables were a step in the right direction, according to Halka Jaklová, project manager of the Aperio Healthy Parenting Association.

But Prague-based lawyer Tomáš Pelikán pointed out that the tables could have unforeseen consequences.

"Tables are an asset in terms of dismantling the ridiculous amounts assessed, especially by the regional courts. On the other hand, I fear it simplifies the judges' work, and they could refer to the tables automatically without dealing with other aspects based on family law, which should be taken into account," he said.  

About one in two Czech marriages ends in divorce.

Klára Jiřičná can be reached at
kjiricna@praguepost.com