Child support in Spain: how it's calculated and what it covers in 2026

Money after divorce: the question everyone asks

If you're going through a separation or divorce and have children, one question comes up almost immediately: how much will child support be? That's understandable. Money, along with the custody schedule, is the issue that generates the most conflict between separated parents. Who pays, how much, what does it cover, and what happens if it isn't paid. Financial uncertainty piles on top of the emotional strain of the process and creates anxiety that affects the whole family.

The good news is that child support in Spain is not an arbitrary figure. There are clear legal criteria, reference tables published by the Consejo General del Poder Judicial, and well-established case law that help determine a fair amount. Understanding how it works will allow you to negotiate from a position of knowledge, avoid surprises, and keep your focus where it belongs: on your children's wellbeing.

Child support is not a penalty for the paying parent or a reward for the receiving one. It is the right of children to have both parents contribute to covering their basic needs, regardless of which parent they live with.

What child support is and what it covers

Child support is the financial amount one parent pays the other to contribute to the children's living expenses. Despite the name, it does not cover food alone: the legal concept of "alimentos" (maintenance) encompasses everything necessary for the child's sustenance, housing, clothing, medical care, and education.

Ordinary expenses covered by child support

Child support is designed to cover the shared expenses for children that are ordinary in nature — that is, predictable and recurring:

• Food: The child's meals in the custodial parent's home and school lunches.
• Housing: The child's proportional share of housing costs (rent, utilities, building fees).
• Clothing and footwear: Regular seasonal purchases.
• Education: Tuition, textbooks, school supplies, compulsory uniforms, and extracurricular activities the child was already enrolled in before the separation.
• Basic healthcare: Medical expenses covered by the Seguridad Social and routine medications.
• Transport and leisure: Day-to-day school transport and regular leisure activities.

Extraordinary expenses: what child support does not cover

Alongside ordinary expenses, there are extraordinary expenses — unforeseen or non-recurring costs that are shared between both parents separately from the regular support payment:

• Necessary extraordinary expenses: Orthodontics, glasses, specialist medical treatments not covered by public healthcare, and academic support for diagnosed learning difficulties. These do not require the other parent's prior consent, and both parents must contribute.
• Non-necessary extraordinary expenses: Summer camps, school trips, private tutoring, and new extracurricular activities. These expenses require the agreement of both parents before any commitment is made. Without agreement, there is no obligation to pay.

This distinction is one of the main sources of conflict between separated parents. Being clear from the outset about what is ordinary and what is extraordinary prevents a great many disputes.

How child support is calculated

There is no single mathematical formula for calculating child support. The law establishes that the judge will set the amount based on the circumstances of each case. However, there are well-defined factors and reference tools that make it possible to get a fairly accurate picture.

Factors that determine the amount

• Both parents' income: This is the primary factor. The net income of each parent is analysed, including salary, rental income, benefits, and any other sources of income. The higher the paying parent's income, the higher the support payment.
• Children's needs: These vary according to age (a teenager has higher expenses than a three-year-old), health, educational needs, and the standard of living the family maintained before the separation.
• Number of children: Support increases with each child, though not proportionally. A second child does not double the support paid for the first.
• Custody arrangement: In sole custody, where the children live primarily with one parent, support is usually higher because that parent shoulders most of the day-to-day costs. In shared custody, if both parents have similar incomes, the support payment can be significantly reduced or even eliminated, as each parent covers expenses during their own period of residence.
• Each parent's assets: Properties, savings, and other assets are taken into account.
• Documented expenses: Mortgage, rent, pre-existing debts, and additional family obligations (children from another relationship, for example).

The CGPJ tables: a reference guide

In 2013, the Consejo General del Poder Judicial published reference tables for child support calculations that many courts use as a benchmark. These tables cross-reference the paying parent's income with the number of children and the autonomous community of residence, since the cost of living varies considerably across regions.

As a rough guide, for a parent with a net monthly income of 1,500 euros and one child, the tables place child support in an approximate range of 180 to 250 euros per month, depending on the autonomous community. With two children, the range rises to 270–370 euros per month. These figures are indicative only: the judge may deviate from the tables if the circumstances of the case justify it.

Practical examples

• Case 1: Sole custody, one child aged 8. The non-custodial father earns 2,000 euros net per month and the custodial mother earns 1,200 euros. Support could be around 300–350 euros per month, covering the child's ordinary expenses.
• Case 2: Shared custody on alternating weeks, two children aged 6 and 10. Both parents earn approximately 1,800 euros net. In this situation, it is common for no formal support payment to be set; instead, each parent covers ordinary expenses during their week, and a shared account is created for fixed costs (school fees, extracurricular activities, health insurance).
• Case 3: Shared custody with unequal incomes. The father earns 3,000 euros and the mother earns 1,200 euros, with one child aged 12. Even with shared custody, the income disparity justifies the father paying a compensatory amount to the other parent, which could be around 150–200 euros per month.

It is important to note that these examples are illustrative. Every case is different and the final amount will depend on all the circumstances assessed together.

Tools for managing children's expenses

Once child support has been set, the day-to-day challenge is managing expenses transparently and without conflict. Keeping track of who pays what, distinguishing between ordinary and extraordinary expenses, retaining receipts, and maintaining an up-to-date balance can become an exhausting task when done through WhatsApp messages and paper notes.

Digital tools make this management far simpler. Niddo allows both parents to log every child-related expense, categorise it as ordinary or extraordinary, attach a photo of the receipt, and view the balance between them in real time. When the monthly settlement comes around, there are no arguments — the figures are there, documented and accessible to both parties.

This transparency has a direct impact on reducing conflict. When both parents can verify what has been spent and on what, suspicions fade, unfounded claims disappear, and disputes over amounts no one can remember become a thing of the past. If you want to go deeper into how to organise these expenses, see our guide on shared expenses for children after divorce.

What to do if payments are missed

Non-payment of child support is a serious problem that affects thousands of families in Spain. If the paying parent stops making payments, you have several avenues to pursue:

• Judicial claim: You can ask the court to enforce the judgment, resulting in the debtor's assets or income being seized.
• Fondo de Garantía de Pensiones: If the paying parent cannot be located or has no income, you can apply for an advance from the Fondo de Garantía del Pago de Alimentos, administered by the Ministerio de Justicia, which covers up to 100 euros per month per child for a maximum of 18 months.
• Criminal route: Repeated non-payment of child support (two consecutive months or four non-consecutive months) can constitute the criminal offence of family abandonment, punishable by a prison sentence of three months to one year or a fine of six to twenty-four months.

Having a detailed record of payments made and missed is essential for any of these routes. An expense-management app that documents every transaction becomes valuable evidence in the event of a legal claim.

Child support is updated annually in line with the CPI, unless the judgment specifies a different criterion. Remember to apply this annual adjustment so that the payment does not lose its purchasing power over time.

Bear in mind that child support also has important tax implications. See our guide on the tax return after divorce to understand the tax treatment and make use of the deductions you are entitled to.

Conclusion: clear accounts, peace of mind for the family

Child support does not have to be a permanent source of conflict. When both parents understand how it is calculated, what it covers, and what falls outside its scope, expectations align and disputes diminish. Knowing the CGPJ reference tables, distinguishing between ordinary and extraordinary expenses, and documenting every expense rigorously are the three pillars of sound financial management after separation.

If you are negotiating a child support arrangement or already have one in place and want to improve how you manage shared expenses, lean on tools designed to make co-parenting easier. We also recommend reviewing the most common mistakes when managing shared expenses and keeping a thorough record of children's expenses from day one.

Download Niddo and start managing your children's expenses with transparency, control, and without arguments. Because when the finances are clear, the focus can return to where it belongs: your children's wellbeing.