Child maintenance estimator

This estimator shows how a child's reasonable monthly costs could be divided between two parents in proportion to what each of them earns. That proportional split is the starting point a Maintenance Court works from, and it is also the starting point for most private agreements. The tool is for parents who are separating or divorcing, parents who already have a maintenance order and want to check whether it still looks fair, and anyone preparing for a Maintenance Court hearing.

It is important to say what the tool is not. There is no maintenance formula in South African law. A court decides on the child's actual reasonable needs and each parent's actual ability to pay. The estimator gives you a defensible first number for discussion. It does not predict what a court will order.

What this calculator works out and who it is for

You enter four things: the children's total reasonable monthly needs, the number of children, your net monthly income after tax, and the other parent's net monthly income. If you do not know the other parent's income, use your best estimate and say so when you discuss the result.

The estimator returns your share of the combined income as a percentage, your indicative monthly contribution in rands, the other parent's indicative contribution, the needs figure per child, and a typical range per child for households in your income band. If your needs figure per child falls outside that range, it shows a warning so you can check your budget before relying on it.

Because the maths is simple, both parents can run it with the same numbers and see the same result, which often takes some heat out of the conversation.

How the calculation works

The service runs the following steps, in order.

First, it adds your net income and the other parent's net income to get the combined household income. If both incomes are zero it stops and asks for at least one income, because a share of nothing cannot be calculated.

Second, it divides your net income by the combined income to get your share, expressed as a fraction. That fraction is shown as a percentage in the result.

Third, it multiplies the children's total monthly needs by your share to get your indicative contribution, rounded to the cent. The other parent's contribution is the needs figure minus yours, so the two contributions always add up to the full needs amount.

Fourth, it divides the needs figure by the number of children to get a per-child figure.

Fifth, it looks up a hint band in the LawMatch rate table using the combined net income. There are three bands. A combined income up to R20 000 is labelled lower income, with a typical range of R1 800 to R4 000 per child. Up to R60 000 is labelled middle income, with a range of R4 000 to R9 000. Above R60 000 is labelled higher income, with a range starting at R9 000 and no upper limit. The bands are checked in order and the first one your combined income fits is used.

It also applies a floor that is not a matter of opinion. The child support grant, which is what the State pays a caregiver to keep one child fed and clothed, is R580 a month from 1 April 2026. If the needs figure you enter works out to less than that per child, the calculator says so, because a monthly budget for a child that comes in under the subsistence grant is not a frugal budget, it is an incomplete one. The usual omissions are a share of the rent and electricity, school transport, uniforms and shoes, and the medical costs that are not covered by a scheme.

Sixth, it compares your per-child needs figure with the band. If it is below the band's low figure, a warning suggests you may have left out costs such as food, a share of housing, schooling, medical, transport and clothing. If it is above the band's high figure, a warning says the court will want receipts and a detailed budget. If the figure sits inside the range, there is no warning.

The estimator does not weight the split for the time each parent spends with the child, does not deduct the other parent's own living expenses, does not adjust for other dependants, and does not apply any minimum or maximum. The hint bands are guidance only and never change the contribution figure.

The law behind the numbers

The Maintenance Act 99 of 1998 governs child maintenance. It says both parents have a duty to support their children according to their respective means, and that the duty is shared in proportion to those means. That is the pro-rata principle the estimator applies. The Act also sets up the Maintenance Court, which sits at every Magistrates' Court, and gives maintenance officers the power to investigate each parent's income and expenses before a magistrate makes an order.

The Children's Act 38 of 2005 sits alongside it. It confirms that both parents carry parental responsibilities and rights, including the responsibility to contribute to the child's maintenance, whether or not they were ever married and whether or not they live with the child.

The rate table names the Maintenance Act and "illustrative ranges from maintenance court practice" as its source, with an effective date of 1 January 2025. The ranges are not published by any court or government body. They are LawMatch's own summary of what typical claims look like and they are reviewed each year. Treat them as a sanity check on your budget, nothing more.

Worked example

This example is illustrative. Naledi has two children who live with her. She works out that their reasonable monthly needs, including their share of rent, food, school fees, transport, clothing, medical costs and a modest amount for activities, come to R9 000 in total. Her net income is R12 000 a month. The children's father earns R24 000 net.

Combined income is R12 000 plus R24 000, which is R36 000. Naledi's share is R12 000 divided by R36 000, which is one third, shown as 33.3%. Her indicative contribution is R9 000 multiplied by one third, which is R3 000. The father's indicative contribution is R9 000 minus R3 000, which is R6 000.

The per-child figure is R9 000 divided by two, which is R4 500. The combined income of R36 000 falls in the middle income band, where the typical range is R4 000 to R9 000 per child. R4 500 sits inside that range, and it is comfortably above the R580 child support grant, so no warning appears.

What the result means in practice: if Naledi asks the Maintenance Court for R6 000 a month, she has a reasoned basis for the figure. The court will still look at both parents' actual expenses, and it may take into account that Naledi provides housing and daily care in kind, which could shift the number in her favour.

What the calculator does not include

A real maintenance order can differ from the estimate for many reasons.

The court looks at actual means, not just salary. Bonuses, overtime, rental income, a second job, support from a new partner and the value of company benefits can all count. A parent who is deliberately underemployed may be assessed on what they could earn.

The court weighs contributions in kind. The parent the child lives with provides a home, food and care every day. Magistrates routinely recognise this, and it can reduce that parent's cash contribution below the pro-rata figure.

Each parent's own reasonable expenses matter. A parent with a large bond, other children to support, or medical costs may be found unable to pay the full pro-rata amount. The estimator does not deduct expenses from income.

The needs figure is yours. If you leave out school uniforms, extra lessons, medical aid or transport, the estimate will be low. If you include luxuries, a court will strip them out. The hint band warnings help, but they are no substitute for a written budget with receipts.

Medical aid, school fees and once-off costs are often ordered separately, for example an order that one parent keeps the child on their medical aid and the other pays a set cash amount. The estimator produces a single monthly figure.

Arrears, interest on unpaid maintenance, and enforcement steps such as an emoluments attachment order are outside the calculation.

When to get advice

Get advice if any of these apply to you.

The other parent refuses to disclose their income, or you believe the figure they have given is false. A maintenance officer can subpoena payslips and bank statements.

Maintenance is not being paid under an existing order. Read what to do if maintenance is not being paid. Enforcement is free through the Maintenance Court and can include attaching salary, attaching property and prosecution.

You are negotiating a divorce settlement or a parenting plan and the maintenance clause will be locked in for years.

Your circumstances have changed and the existing order is now too high or too low. You can apply to vary it.

The free route is the Maintenance Court at your nearest Magistrates' Court. There is no fee, you do not need an attorney, and the maintenance officer will help you complete the application. If you need legal representation and cannot afford it, Legal Aid South Africa on 0800 110 110 may assist. See our legal aid page. For a fuller explanation of the court's approach, read how child maintenance is calculated.

LawMatch is not a law firm and this page is general information, not legal advice. The estimate is a starting point for a conversation, not a figure a court has approved.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a percentage of salary that must be paid for child maintenance?

No. South African law has no fixed percentage or formula. The court looks at the child's reasonable needs and each parent's means. The proportional split in this estimator is the usual starting point, but the final figure depends on the facts.

What counts as the child's reasonable needs?

Food, a fair share of housing and utilities, clothing, school fees and uniforms, transport, medical costs, toiletries, and reasonable extras such as sport or a cellphone for an older child. The standard is what the child reasonably needs given the parents' standard of living, not the bare minimum and not luxury.

Does the parent the child lives with also have to contribute?

Yes. Both parents contribute according to their means. The parent who provides the home usually contributes a large part in kind, and the court takes that into account when it sets the cash amount the other parent must pay.

Can maintenance be claimed if the parents were never married?

Yes. The duty to support a child does not depend on marriage. An unmarried father has the same duty as a married one, and the mother can apply to the Maintenance Court in the ordinary way.

Until what age is maintenance paid?

Until the child is self-supporting, which is often, but not always, when the child finishes studying. Maintenance does not automatically stop at eighteen. An adult child who is still studying and dependent can claim in their own name.

Can the other parent and I just agree a figure between ourselves?

Yes, and many parents do. It is wise to have the agreement made an order of the Maintenance Court so that it can be enforced if payments stop. Running both sets of numbers through this estimator is a sensible first step.