Child Support Calculator for Bulgaria

Yes. Unemployment does not release a parent from the obligation. The court assumes that every parent of working age can earn at least the minimum wage and awards at least the minimum amount.

No. The law sets only a minimum. Where the parent earns well and the child's needs are greater, the court can award support well above the minimum.

Yes, but for no more than one year before the claim is filed (Art. 149 Family Code). So do not delay the claim if the other parent is not paying.

The court judgment, or an agreement approved by the court, is an enforceable title. A bailiff can enforce it by garnishing wages, bank accounts or assets. Persistent failure to pay child support can also be a criminal offence under the Bulgarian Criminal Code.

Not automatically. The amount awarded stays the same until the court changes it. If it falls below the new minimum or the child's needs increase, you can apply for an increase.

Within the EU, as a rule you can file in the country where the child is habitually resident (Regulation (EC) No 4/2009). If the child lives with you in Bulgaria, the Bulgarian court has jurisdiction even if the other parent lives in, say, Germany or Italy. If the child lives with you in another EU country, you can usually sue there.

Usually the law of the country where the child is habitually resident (2007 Hague Protocol). If the child lives in Bulgaria, the Bulgarian minimum applies. If the child lives in Germany, Spain or another country, that country's law applies – even if both parents are Bulgarian.

A Bulgarian child support judgment is recognised and enforced in other EU countries without a separate procedure. You can also apply through the central authority in Bulgaria (the Ministry of Justice), which forwards the application to the competent authority in the other country – usually free of charge for you.

Since Brexit, the UK is no longer covered by the EU Regulation. The UK and the USA are both parties to the 2007 Hague Convention on the international recovery of child support, so applications go through the central authorities in the same way. With other countries, bilateral legal-assistance treaties apply, or the judgment is recognised under the Bulgarian Private International Law Code. The options depend on the specific country.

The parents' citizenship is not decisive – what matters is where the child lives. If the child lives in Bulgaria, the case can be heard by a Bulgarian court under Bulgarian law, and the foreign parent owes at least the minimum amount. Serving documents abroad adds several months to the case.

Yes. The court assesses the parent's real means, including income earned abroad. That is why it is important to gather evidence of their work and income – contracts, social media posts, information about their home and spending.

As a rule, yes. A Bulgarian lawyer can represent you in court on the basis of a power of attorney, which you can sign abroad – for example, before a notary with an apostille or at a Bulgarian consulate. Whether you need to attend in person depends on the case; we will tell you in advance.