deutsches institut für jugendhilfe und familienrecht e.v. (dijuf) increasing family diversity and...
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Deutsches Institut für Jugendhilfe und Familienrecht e.V. (DIJuF)
Increasing Family Diversity and Child Support in Europe
Recovery of Child Support and Family Maintenance in Asia-Pacific and
WorldwideDr. Thomas Meysen
German Institute for Youth Human Services and Family Law
Deutsches Institut für Jugendhilfe und Familienrecht e.V. (DIJuF)
Hong Kong, 9-11 Nov. 2015
Deutsches Institut für Jugendhilfe und Familienrecht e.V. (DIJuF)
Law tradition about to crumble?
Roman-law principles• “Mater semper certa est.”
“The mother is always certain.”• “Pater semper incertus est.”
“The father is always uncertain.”• “Pater est quem nuptiae
demonstrant.”“Father is who proved so by marriage.”
Deutsches Institut für Jugendhilfe und Familienrecht e.V. (DIJuF)
Who are the child‘s parents?
(intended)father
(inten-ded) moth
er
child
egg cell
donor
woman carryin
g to term
sperm donor
Deutsches Institut für Jugendhilfe und Familienrecht e.V. (DIJuF)
Every child needs a father!?
Roman law tradition: „mater semper certa est“mother – father – child mother – father – child
mother – mother – child father – father – child
16 (+ 4): Austria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic (CP), Estonia, Greece (CP), Hungary (CP), Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta (CP), Poland, Portugal (marriage), Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Turkey, Ukraine
12 (+3): Belgium, Denmark (CP), Finland (2017), France (CP), Germany (CP), Ireland (referendum), Iceland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden (CP), Switzerland (CP), United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland)
Mapping same-sex marriage in Europe
Deutsches Institut für Jugendhilfe und Familienrecht e.V. (DIJuF)
What if a parent proves “wrong”?German insights
“false” father- paid child support before disestablishment of paternity, claims
recourse
mother- not liable for damages of “false” father- personal rights of mother to privacy about her sexuality generally
more weighty than financial interests of “false” father to recourse- weak liability to give information about who she had sexual intercourse
with in relevant time; right to information inadmissible to enforcement
(potential) “real” father- “false” father has claim of recourse only after disestablishment of his
paternity- establishment of paternity of “real” father and claim of recourse can
be called for in same proceedingFederal Constitutional Court 24 Feb. 2015 (1 BvR 472/14)Supreme Court 2 Jul. 2014 (XII ZB 201/13); 20 Feb. 2013 (XII ZB 412/11); 11 Jan. 2012 (XII ZR 194/09); 22 Oct. 2010 (XII ZR 46/07)
Deutsches Institut für Jugendhilfe und Familienrecht e.V. (DIJuF)
Joint custody/shared parenting, shared child support obligation?
Child’s reality in Europe: not only residence and visitation• former times: children live with one parent
and visit other parent every other weekend• Nowadays: increasing number live multiple
forms of parenting after separation/divorce• effect on child support: calculation cannot
stay blind income shares models superior
to models that only take obligor’s income into account
Deutsches Institut für Jugendhilfe und Familienrecht e.V. (DIJuF)
Joint custody/shared parenting, shared child support obligation?
Calculation modelsGermany: judicial system muddling through- exactly shared parenting: percental child support obli-
gations according to calculation out of shared income- if more than ten days: calculation to discretion of court
(deviance from guidelines; estimation of burden of costs)
Norway: high functioning administrative system (excellent IT)- shared incomes model- reduction of amount per overnight with obligor, starting
from two overnights a month on
United Kingdom: judicial system with issues- reduction after every 52 overnights by 1/7 of owed
child support
Deutsches Institut für Jugendhilfe und Familienrecht e.V. (DIJuF)
Can a child have multiple parents?
two parents multiple parents, no child support obligation
multiple parents, with child support obligation
18 (+5): Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine
3: Finland, Germany, United Kingdom
7: Austria, Bulgaria, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal
Deutsches Institut für Jugendhilfe und Familienrecht e.V. (DIJuF)
multiple parents without financial responsibilities
Multiple parents, no child support obligationFinland, United Kingdom: visitation rights after adoptionGermany: distinction between legal father and (just) biological father- approval of biological fatherhood- visitation rights if it serves the child’s best
interests- right to information if not inconsistent with child’s
best interests
Deutsches Institut für Jugendhilfe und Familienrecht e.V. (DIJuF)
multiple parents with financial responsibilities
Multiple parents, with child support obligationAustria (single person adoption), Bulgaria (simple adoption), France (“adoption simple”), Luxembourg (“adoption simple”), Poland (simple adoption), Portugal (restricted adoption)- child support responsibilities maintain but only as
compensation liability of ex-parents, subsidiary to adoptive parents
Netherlands- stepparent: child support obligation for children of
his/her spouse who live in his/her household- custody in same-sex marriage with parent outside or after
partner adoption
Deutsches Institut für Jugendhilfe und Familienrecht e.V. (DIJuF)
Thank you!
Dr. Thomas MeysenGerman Institute for Youth Human Services and Family LawDeutsches Institut für Jugendhilfe und Familienrecht e.V. (DIJuF)Poststr. 17 / P.O. Box 10 20 20D-69115 Heidelberg / D-69010 HeidelbergTel.: +49-6221-9818-11Fax: +49-6221-9818-28E-Mail: [email protected]