Calculating maintenance online: how does it work?
In the Netherlands, maintenance is calculated according to the Trema guidelines — the national guidelines that judges also use. The calculation has roughly three steps: determining the need, determining the capacity to pay, and splitting the contribution.
- Need — what do the children or ex-partner require? For children this comes from the needs table (based on the net family income and the number of children); for an ex-partner from the standard of living during the marriage, usually calculated with the Hofnorm: 60% of the net family income after deducting the costs of the children.
- Capacity to pay — how much can each parent contribute? This is calculated from net disposable income (NBI), after tax and tax credits.
- Split — the need is divided in proportion to capacity, accounting for a care discount for the days the children are with the paying parent.
Alimentatie Inzicht performs all these steps automatically, including the child-related budget, the income-dependent combination tax credit (IACK), the tax effects and — for spousal maintenance — the financial balance check (jusvergelijking): the test that the recipient is not left with more than the payer after maintenance. You enter your situation and see an indication immediately.
Example child maintenance calculation
A simplified example for one child aged 10, to illustrate the method:
| NBI parent A | € 3,179 / month |
| NBI parent B | € 2,313 / month |
| Child need (needs table, family NBI € 5,492) | € 744 / month |
| Capacity parent A | € 602 / month |
| Capacity parent B | € 178 / month |
| Parent A share (pro rata to capacity) | € 574 / month |
| Care discount parent A (25%) | – € 186 / month |
| Indicative child maintenance parent A | ± € 388 / month |
Illustrative example. Your actual outcome depends on exact incomes, housing costs, care split and tax factors — all of which the tool calculates in full.
What information do you need?
Five pieces of information are enough to start. Below is where to find each one, so you do not need to ask an adviser for anything.
| What you enter | Where to find it |
|---|---|
| Gross income of both partners (per month or per year). | Your annual income statement for the last full year. If you do not have it, use the gross monthly salary from a recent payslip; holiday pay and any fixed year-end bonus count towards it. |
| Number of children and their ages. | No document needed. The needs table only looks at the net family income and the number of children; age counts for the child-related budget and for children aged 18 to 21. |
| The care split / contact arrangement. | The parenting plan, or simply the number of days per week the children stay with the paying parent. For an irregular schedule, use an average across the year. |
| Approximate housing costs and any special expenses. | Your bank's mortgage statement, or the tenancy agreement. For an owned home this is the gross mortgage interest plus repayment; for a rental, the basic rent. |
| For spousal maintenance: the date of the marriage and the date of the divorce petition (for the duration) and the net family income during the marriage (for the need). | The marriage certificate, or the date in the divorce order. The duration runs from the date of marriage to the filing of the petition. |
You need no BSN and no sensitive personal data to get started.
What if you are missing something?
A calculation does not have to wait until everything is complete. Two cases come up most often.
You do not know your housing costs exactly
That is not a problem. If you leave housing costs blank, the calculator uses the housing budget from the Trema guidelines: a fixed amount of 30% of net disposable income. Courts use that same housing budget as the starting point; they only depart from it where the actual housing costs are demonstrably different. If you enter the real amount later, the outcome shifts with it.
You do not know the other parent's income
This is the most common obstacle, and there is no way around it. The capacity of both parents together determines how the costs are divided, so without that second income there is no division to make.
What you can do: calculate with an estimate, then repeat it with a higher and a lower figure. You will see how sensitive the outcome is to that single number — and sometimes it matters less than expected. For an amount you can rely on, the actual figures are needed. Those come from asking for them, through a mediator or lawyer, or — if it comes to that — because the court requests them.
And what can you leave out?
Exceptional costs and debts are optional: if you do not have them, leave them blank. An incomplete calculation is still a well-founded starting point — not a legally binding determination, as said above, but a basis for the conversation.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate maintenance?
According to the Trema guidelines: first the need (child costs or marriage-related need), then the capacity to pay from net disposable income, and finally the proportional split with a care discount. Alimentatie Inzicht does this for free and indicatively in minutes.
Is calculating maintenance free?
Yes. The calculation itself is free; you create a free account for it. You see the indication on screen and a report preview with masked figures. The full report with PDF needs an unlock — and during the introductory period that is free for your first case (normally € 35). After that a report costs € 35 per case. No BSN required and no payment details are requested.
What information do I need?
Five details: the gross income of both partners, the number of children and their ages, the care arrangement, approximate housing costs and — for spousal maintenance — the length of the marriage. The more complete, the more accurate the indication.
Is the outcome legally binding?
No, the calculation is indicative and not legal advice. Final maintenance may depend on additional circumstances, mutual agreements or a court decision. The PDF report is, however, a strong basis for discussion.