Child support stirs strong emotions. One parent looks after the child and needs certainty; the other pays and wants to know it is fair. And the child chose none of it. Let me go through it calmly, step by step.
The broader context of the reform is in What changed in Czech family law in January 2026. How courts deal with child support rulings that lack proper reasoning is covered in section 9 of Child custody disputes — what parents need to know.
¶ How child support is set
Czech law has no table and no binding calculator. That surprises many people, because tables are common elsewhere in Europe. The court assesses each case individually (Section 913 of the Civil Code), mainly on the basis of three things:
The child's reasonable needs. Age, health, school, after-school activities and the standard of living the child is used to.
The abilities, opportunities and financial circumstances of the paying parent. Not only what they actually earn, but also what they could earn. The court looks at whether the parent gave up a better-paid job or assets without good reason.
The parents' standard of living. A child is entitled to share in the standard of living of both parents. If one of them lives particularly well, the support should reflect that.
So a payslip is not decisive on its own. In July 2026 the Constitutional Court dismissed the complaint of a father who reported a salary of CZK 25,000 but had transferred his assets to his son and lived on payments from him. The courts had set child support according to his actual standard of living: holidays abroad, a flat and a car free of charge, and monthly payments from his son of at least CZK 136,000 (order file no. IV. ÚS 1478/26; an order, or usnesení, is typically how the Constitutional Court disposes of a complaint without ruling on its merits). What counts is the overall financial situation, not just declared income.
Care by both parents is taken into account in the sense that a parent who personally looks after the child thereby meets part of their maintenance duty. That is why child support is calculated differently where both parents share care than where one parent provides most of it. It is not automatically zero, though: if the parents' standards of living differ, the court will set child support even where care is split equally (finding file no. III. ÚS 1952/25; a finding, or nález, is a Constitutional Court ruling on the merits of a complaint).
In practice, amounts range from a few thousand crowns a month for ordinary incomes to tens of thousands for high-earning parents.
¶ What the 2026 reform changed
Higher default interest. On unpaid child support for a minor, default interest for the first six months is 0.25% of the amount owed per day, and the ordinary statutory interest rate after that (Government Regulation No. 517/2025 Coll.). This applies to defaults arising on or after 1 January 2026. Paying late therefore becomes considerably more expensive.
Assignment of the claim. Overdue child support ordered by a court can now be sold to someone who will pursue it. The payment must be made by bank transfer, not in cash. If the claim is assigned by the child, court approval is needed unless the price is at least equal to the principal owed. Expect the buyer to keep a share for the risk and the work involved.
¶ When the other parent does not pay
Unfortunately, this is common. Your options:
Enforcement. With a final and binding court decision or a court-approved child support agreement, you can apply for enforcement through a court enforcement officer (exekutor). The officer can make deductions from wages or from a bank account, or sell assets. It works, but it takes patience.
Assignment of the claim. See above. It is useful if you do not have the energy or the means to pursue the debt yourself and are willing to give up part of it.
Substitute maintenance from the state. If the paying parent does not pay and enforcement fails, you can, subject to statutory conditions, apply to the Labour Office for substitute maintenance. The amount is limited, but in a difficult situation it helps.
Criminal complaint. Failing to meet a maintenance obligation for more than four months is the criminal offence of neglect of mandatory maintenance (Section 196 of the Criminal Code) if it puts the person entitled at risk of hardship. Negligence is enough; intent does not have to be proven. The risk of hardship has been a condition of criminal liability since 1 January 2026 (Act No. 270/2025 Coll.); until then, failing to pay was a crime in itself and the risk of hardship only increased the penalty. Criminal liability ceases if the debtor pays off the debt before the court of first instance begins to pronounce its judgment, and the offence has had no lasting adverse consequences. For that reason a criminal complaint often leads the debtor to pay. It should only come, however, once other routes have failed. If you are considering one, or someone has filed one against you, see Criminal complaint — what happens when someone files one against you.
¶ When you are paying and circumstances have changed
Losing a job, illness or another child can change how much you can realistically pay. The law allows for that.
Application to reduce child support. If your circumstances get substantially worse through no fault of your own, apply to the court for a reduction.
When it makes sense: you have lost your job and are looking for a new one, you have become seriously ill, or you have had another child.
When it does not: you left a well-paid job of your own accord, or you transferred assets to someone else. The court will find out and will work with the income you could be earning.
Important: until the court decides, the original amount applies. You must not start paying less on your own initiative. The debt grows, since 2026 with higher interest, and it can end in enforcement and a criminal complaint.
¶ Child support is not a weapon
Child support is for the child, not for the adults. It should not serve as a punishment, as retaliation or as leverage in a custody dispute.
If you cannot agree, a consultation with a lawyer who can tell you what is realistic in your situation will help, and mediation may too.
Enforcing child support, or seeking to adjust what you pay? In our family law practice I'll help you find the fastest route — from the application through enforcement to a well-documented application for a reduction. Get in touch.
¶ Frequently asked questions
Is child support based only on the payslip?
No. What counts is the overall financial situation and the actual standard of living. In order IV. ÚS 1478/26, the Czech Constitutional Court dismissed the complaint of a father who reported a salary of CZK 25,000 but had transferred his assets to his son and lived on payments from him. The courts found that his income consisted of payments from his son of at least CZK 136,000 a month.
Is child support payable when both parents share care?
It can be. A parent who personally looks after the child thereby meets part of their maintenance duty, but support is not automatically zero; if the parents' standards of living differ, the court will set it even where care is split equally (finding III. ÚS 1952/25).
How much child support is paid in practice in the Czech Republic?
From a few thousand crowns a month for ordinary incomes to tens of thousands for high-earning parents. Czech law has no fixed table.
When is not paying child support a criminal offence?
When the obligation has not been met for more than four months and the person entitled is put at risk of hardship (Section 196 of the Criminal Code as in force from 1 January 2026); negligence is enough. Criminal liability ceases if the debtor pays off the debt before the court of first instance begins to pronounce its judgment and the offence has had no lasting adverse consequences.
Will the court reduce child support for a parent who left a well-paid job voluntarily?
As a rule, no. The court looks at whether the parent gave up a better-paid job or assets without good reason and works with the income they could be earning.
Is it worth selling a child support claim?
It can suit someone who does not have the energy or the means to pursue the debt and is willing to give up part of it, since the buyer keeps a share for the risk and the work. Payment must be made by bank transfer; if the child assigns the claim, court approval is needed unless the price is at least equal to the principal owed.