The child’s cash support
How it is split between the parents under the Federal Supreme Court’s matrix
In principle, both parents contribute equally to the child’s maintenance, either in money (by paying support: this is “cash” support) or in kind (by looking after the child, helping with homework or providing other care). In practice, however, a perfectly equal split is rare, so the courts have developed a matrix to share the cost.
The Federal Supreme Court’s matrix crosses each parent’s capacity to pay with their care rate to show what share of the cash support that parent bears. The tool calculates the care rate from the custody schedule (42-unit method) and the capacity to pay from the available balances, then reads the matrix.
Visualisation tool: it does not replace a case-by-case assessment. The matrix is only a guide; the judge retains discretion. The values you enter are neither saved nor sent.
1. Care arrangements
Care rate using the 42-unit method
Each day counts three units: click a box to give it to the other parent, or start from a preset.
Even week
| Time of day | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|
Odd week
| Time of day | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|
Care units out of 42
Mother: 32 units ()Father: 10 units ()
School holidays (about 13 weeks a year)
Total: 13 weeks a year, i.e. for Mother and for Father
Weighted care rate (over 52 weeks)
Mother: %Father: %
= (regular rate × 39 weeks + holiday rate × 13 weeks) ÷ 52
2. Available balances
Income minus essential expenses, in francs per month
3. Federal Supreme Court matrix
Share of the cash support borne by the parent, in %
MotherFatherRows: capacity to pay · columns: care rate
| Capacity ↓ | Care rate → | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sole care: when one parent looks after the child alone, the other parent in principle bears all the cash support, as the matrix shows. This principle is not absolute, however: if the parent with custody has a greater capacity to pay than the other, the judge can and must, in the exercise of their discretion, make that parent bear part of it (ATF 147 III 265 consid. 8.1).
Mother
%
of the cash support
Matrix cell:
Care rate:
Capacity to pay:
Father
%
of the cash support
Matrix cell:
Care rate:
Capacity to pay:
4. Amount in francs
Optional: apply the split to a maintenance cost
Mother’s shareCHF
Share under the matrix (%)CHF
Father’s shareCHF
Share under the matrix (%)CHF
How to use and sources
How to use
Panel 1 sets the care arrangements: click the boxes of the grid (each day is divided into three units, following the method of judgment 5A_743/2017 (new tab)) to give each period to one parent or the other, then enter the school holiday weeks. The weighted rate over 52 weeks is calculated automatically.
Panel 2 takes each parent’s available balance (income minus essential expenses); the relative capacity to pay is each parent’s share of the total. The matrix (panel 3) is read automatically: row = the parent’s capacity to pay, column = their care rate.
Values between two cells
The Federal Supreme Court’s matrix is laid out in steps of 10%. When the actual values fall between two cells, the tool shows the value interpolated linearly between the four neighbouring cells, marked interp. The Federal Supreme Court points out that this is not a concrete calculation of child maintenance accurate to the franc (ATF 147 III 265 consid. 5.5).
A question about your situation? You can contact the firm or book an appointment by phone on 022 707 99 11.
Sources
- ATF 147 III 265 (new tab) consid. 5.5: leading case setting out the distribution matrix;
- Judgment 5A_1032/2019 (new tab) of 9 June 2020, consid. 5.4.1;
- Judgment 5A_727/2018 (new tab) of 22 August 2019, consid. 4.3.2;
- Judgment 5A_743/2017 (new tab) of 22 May 2019: method for calculating care rates (42 units over 14 days);
- Judgment 5A_117/2021 (new tab) of 9 March 2022, consid. 4.4: application of the 42-unit method (morning, school time, evening);
- legal basis: Art. 276 CC (new tab) and Art. 285 CC (new tab) (Swiss Civil Code).
Last updated: 26 September 2026