Child support

In accordance with the Family Act, caring for a minor child is primarily the duty of the parents, and a parent who is able to work cannot be released from this obligation. If a parent fails to provide support, responsibility passes to the grandparents, and in certain circumstances to a stepmother or stepfather – in cases where the child cannot obtain support from the other parent, especially if they lived together with the child at the time of the parent’s death.

There is also an obligation to support an adult child who is attending secondary school, a university or vocational study program, an adult basic education program, or an adult secondary education program, provided that they regularly and duly fulfil their obligations – up to a maximum age of 26.

Child support is always determined in monetary form.

Child support after the dissolution of marriage
The obligation to support a child does not end with divorce and applies to both parents. The parent with whom the child resides fulfils their share of the obligation through daily care and upbringing, while the parent who does not live with the child fulfils it by covering the child’s material needs in the form of monetary maintenance (alimony).

When filing for divorce, spouses may propose which parent the child will live with, how parental care will be exercised, and the amount of alimony for the parent who will not live with the child. In the case of an uncontested divorce, a joint custody plan is drawn up before the Croatian Institute for Social Work. If the parents do not submit a proposal, the court will decide on these matters.

Minimum child support amounts
The minimum amounts of child support for the current year are determined annually by the Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy. The amount depends on the income of the parent obliged to pay alimony and on the age of the child.

Exceptionally, alimony may be set below the statutory minimum, but not less than half of that amount, in cases where the obligor supports two or more children or when the child contributes to their own maintenance through their own income.

Non-payment of alimony
If a parent who is obliged to pay alimony fails to do so or pays less than the determined amount, enforcement proceedings may be initiated to recover the unpaid support. In such cases, enforcement will be carried out against the parent’s salary and other regular monetary income, as well as against funds in their bank account, before any other claims are collected, regardless of when those other claims arose – meaning that enforcement for child support has priority over all other claims.