How does the Guardianship Council calculate child support?
The Caribbean Netherlands Guardianship Council uses a fixed method to calculate the amount of child support, to be able to advise the court as good as possible.
To calculate the amount of child support, the financial capacity of the parents and the needs of the child or children are first determined. Based on both outcomes and a correction for child benefit, the provisional amount of child support is determined for both parents.
- The financial capacity consists of the income of father and mother after the divorce, minus the income that is needed to pay the normal expenses. In the model, the costs of housing and living are standardised based on income and the socio-economic situation per island.
- Island-specific standards are used to determine the needs of a child or the costs for the care and upbringing of a child.
After determining the amount of child support for both parents, the care discount is applied, based on the number of days that a child stays with the father or the mother. This leads to the final child support amount.
In the factsheet below you will find more detailed information about the calculation model used by the Guardianship Council. The calculation model is evaluated and updated annually on the basis of case law, policy changes and figures such as indexations.