Glossary · Swiss and international law
Child maintenance (CC art. 276)
Maintenance amount set to cover the direct and indirect costs of the child — appropriate upkeep matching the family's living standard.
Reference : CC art. 276-289
Maintenance comprises :
- the child’s direct needs (housing, food, clothing, school, leisure, insurance);
- indirect needs (housing share, childcare, unreimbursed medical expenses);
- since the maintenance-law reform of 1 January 2017, a care contribution (Betreuungsunterhalt, art. 285 al. 2 CC) compensating the loss of earning capacity of the parent providing daily care.
The method of ATF 144 III 481 (Federal Tribunal, 2018) imposes a two-step calculation : establishing the extended minimum vital, then distributing the surplus according to a proportional key.