The Düsseldorf Table 2026: Calculating and Understanding Child Maintenance
Last updated: January 2026. The Düsseldorfer Tabelle (Düsseldorf Table) is the most important reference for calculating child maintenance in Germany. It is issued by the Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court (Oberlandesgericht Düsseldorf) in coordination with the other higher regional courts, and it defines monthly minimum maintenance by age group across 14 income bands. Since 1 January 2026, increased benefit rates apply, along with a raised self-retention amount of €1,450 for employed payers.
At a glance
- Minimum maintenance ages 0–5: €482 (band 1; less half the Kindergeld = amount payable €352.50)
- Minimum maintenance ages 6–11: €554 (amount payable €424.50)
- Minimum maintenance ages 12–17: €649 (amount payable €519.50)
- Adults in training: €693 (full Kindergeld deducted, amount payable €434)
- Self-retention for employed payers towards minor children: €1,450/month
- Self-retention for non-employed payers: €1,200/month
- Kindergeld offsetting: 50 % for minors (= €129.50 per child), 100 % for adults (= €259)
- Last updated: 1 January 2026
How the Düsseldorf Table works
The table assigns the adjusted net income of the parent liable for cash maintenance to one of 14 bands. Band 1 begins at an income of up to €2,100; band 14 ends at €11,200. Within each band, maintenance rises by 5 to 8 percent over the previous one. What governs the amount is not the gross salary but the net income less job-related expenses, debts, and pension contributions. This adjustment is a frequent source of dispute between parents and is regularly the subject of family-court proceedings.
The table amount shown is the child's need (Bedarf). From it you deduct the creditable half of the Kindergeld (€129.50) to arrive at the amount actually to be paid — the amount payable (Zahlbetrag). For adult children in training, the full Kindergeld (€259) is deducted, because the adult can draw it themselves or it would be paid half to each parent.
The four age groups
| Age group | Application | Kindergeld offsetting |
|---|---|---|
| 1st age band (0–5 years) | from birth until the 6th birthday | €129.50 (half the Kindergeld) |
| 2nd age band (6–11 years) | primary-school age | €129.50 |
| 3rd age band (12–17 years) | secondary school | €129.50 |
| 4th age band (18 and over) | adults in training up to 25 | €259.00 (full Kindergeld) |
The 2026 income bands at a glance
The following table shows the need amounts (before Kindergeld is offset) for the 14 bands. The percentage in brackets marks the uplift over the minimum maintenance of band 1.
| Band | Net income | 0–5 yrs | 6–11 yrs | 12–17 yrs | 18+ yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | up to €2,100 | €482 | €554 | €649 | €693 |
| 2 | €2,101–2,500 | €507 | €582 | €682 | €728 |
| 3 | €2,501–2,900 | €531 | €610 | €714 | €763 |
| 4 | €2,901–3,300 | €555 | €638 | €747 | €797 |
| 5 | €3,301–3,700 | €579 | €666 | €779 | €832 |
| 6 | €3,701–4,100 | €613 | €705 | €825 | €880 |
| 7 | €4,101–4,500 | €647 | €744 | €871 | €929 |
| 8 | €4,501–4,900 | €680 | €783 | €916 | €977 |
| 9 | €4,901–5,300 | €714 | €821 | €962 | €1,026 |
| 10 | €5,301–5,700 | €748 | €860 | €1,008 | €1,075 |
| 11 | €5,701–6,400 | €782 | €898 | €1,053 | €1,123 |
| 12 | €6,401–7,200 | €816 | €937 | €1,099 | €1,172 |
| 13 | €7,201–8,200 | €849 | €976 | €1,144 | €1,220 |
| 14 | €8,201–9,700 | €883 | €1,014 | €1,190 | €1,269 |
For incomes above €9,700, the family court decides case by case based on the child's actual need. With very high incomes, luxury needs are not automatically recognised — the Federal Court of Justice has repeatedly made clear that the child may share in the standard of living but does not get every wish financed.
Self-retention — what stays with the payer
No one should be pushed below the subsistence minimum by maintenance payments. That is why the Düsseldorf Table defines a necessary self-retention amount (notwendiger Selbstbehalt) guaranteed to the paying parent:
- €1,450/month for employed payers towards minor children (including €580 rent with heating)
- €1,200/month for non-employed payers (e.g. Bürgergeld recipients)
- €1,750/month as the reasonable self-retention towards adult children
If income after deducting the self-retention amount is not enough to cover the full table amount, a shortfall case (Mangelfall) exists. Maintenance must then be reduced proportionally — either equally across all those entitled, or according to the statutory order of priority under § 1609 BGB (the German Civil Code): minor children rank ahead of adult children, joint children ahead of new spouses.
Three everyday worked examples
Family A — separated parents, one child, middle income
Mr Becker, divorced, earns €3,450 net per month as an industrial mechanic. His daughter Mia (8) lives with her mother. Job-related expenses (commuting flat rate, training): €150. Adjusted income: €3,300 → band 4. Table need for ages 6–11: €638. Deduct: half the Kindergeld €129.50. Amount payable: €508.50/month. After the deduction, Mr Becker is left with €2,791.50 — well above the self-retention of €1,450. No shortfall case.
Family B — patchwork family with three children
Ms Hartmann, 38, earns €4,200 net. She has one joint child (aged 4) with her current partner and two children (aged 10 and 14) from her first marriage, who live with her ex-husband. She is liable for cash maintenance towards the older children. Band 7 (income €4,101–4,500). Need: €744 (age 10) + €871 (age 14) = €1,615. Less Kindergeld 2 × €129.50 = amount payable €1,356/month. No separate payment arises for the younger child in her own household — maintenance in kind covers that claim.
Family C — shortfall case with a low earner
Mr Kowalski, a warehouse worker, earns €1,890 net. His son Tim (3) lives with his mother. Band 1, table need €482. Self-retention: €1,450. Available on paper: €1,890 − €1,450 = €440. So Mr Kowalski cannot pay the full minimum maintenance. Amount payable: €440 − €129.50 half Kindergeld = €310.50. The mother can obtain the difference to the full minimum maintenance (the amount payable would normally be €352.50) through the advance maintenance payment at the Jugendamt (youth welfare office) — up to €227 for children under 6.
Adjusted net income — what may be deducted
Before assigning a band, the net income is adjusted. The following items may be deducted:
- Job-related expenses: a flat rate of 5 % of net, with a minimum of €50 and a maximum of €150/month. Higher expenses must be proven.
- Pension contributions: additional retirement provision up to 4 % of gross income (e.g. Riester, Rürup).
- Debts: marriage-related liabilities, provided they arose before the separation and were jointly incurred.
- Medical costs: expenses not reimbursed by the health insurer.
- Costs of contact rights: travel costs to see the child, where disproportionately high (commuting flat rate €0.30/km).
Not deductible are voluntary club contributions, repayment instalments for consumer loans taken out after the separation, and purchases for the new household.
Adjustments and special needs
Beyond the ongoing table maintenance, the child may claim special need (Sonderbedarf) and additional need (Mehrbedarf). Special need is irregular and unforeseeable (a school trip, orthodontic treatment, a confirmation). Additional need is regular but not included in the table amount (nursery fees beyond the state subsidy, tutoring, private-school fees). Both items are usually borne by the parents proportionally to their income ratio.
Avoiding common mistakes
- Mistake 1: basing the calculation on gross income instead of net. The table works exclusively with net.
- Mistake 2: forgetting to offset the Kindergeld. The table amount is the need, not the amount payable.
- Mistake 3: not adding up all maintenance obligations. With several children, band assignment applies jointly, not in isolation per child.
- Mistake 4: delayed adjustment. With each age-band change of the child the need changes — and a new title or a variation action must be actively obtained for it.
How does this differ from 2025?
The Düsseldorf Table 2025 showed the following minimum maintenance amounts in the first income band (up to €2,100 net): €480 (ages 0–5), €551 (6–11), €645 (12–17). For 2026, these rates were slightly raised to €482, €554, and €649 — an increase of between 0.4 % and 0.6 %.
The self-retention amount for employed payers was kept unchanged in 2026 at €1,450 (the same as 2025). The last noticeable rise was in 2024 — the minimum self-retention for non-employed payers is €1,200 in 2026. What this means in practice: anyone who becomes liable to pay for the first time in 2026, or whose income has changed, should have their existing title adjusted — either through the Jugendamt (advocacy, Beistandschaft) or through a family-law solicitor. A title from 2024 or earlier is no longer current with the new rates.
Next steps
- Calculate your amount payable directly with the maintenance calculator.
- As a single parent, check your entitlement to the advance maintenance payment.
- Get an overview of all family benefits for single parents.
- Read on about offsetting Kindergeld against maintenance.
Sources
- Düsseldorf Table 2026, Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court: olg-duesseldorf.nrw.de
- BGB §§ 1601–1615n (maintenance obligation): gesetze-im-internet.de/bgb
- Federal Ministry for Family Affairs: bmfsfj.de
- BMFSFJ family portal: familienportal.de
- Federal Child Benefit Act § 6a (child supplement): gesetze-im-internet.de/bkgg_1996
Note (YMYL disclaimer): Last updated January 2026 | Non-binding estimate. This content is not a substitute for legal or family-law advice. For specific maintenance disputes, contact a solicitor specialising in family law or the responsible Jugendamt (advocacy service).