The most useful thing here is also the least known: assistance from the youth welfare office is free, available on application, and takes the money negotiation away from the parent. And it leaves parental rights entirely untouched.
The youth welfare office helps for free
The parent the child lives with can have the youth welfare office run the maintenance case — set the amount, create an enforceable title, collect. It is free and needs no lawyer.
✓ Verified: 01/08/2026
WHAT TO DO
AUTHORITY
Jugendamt
Municipal authorityKita voucher, acknowledgement of paternity, child maintenance and legal support all go through your town's Jugendamt.
Where to go in your city →› Details and tips
👨🏻💻
Max recommends:
I feared involving the office would turn the other side against me. In practice the conversation got calmer: the figure came from the office, not from me.
👩🏼💼
Lea recommends:
Create the title even while payments are being made voluntarily. It disturbs nothing while things are fine and decides everything when they are not.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What does the youth welfare office actually do? ▾
On the application of the parent the child lives with, it takes over the maintenance case: establishing paternity where needed, calculating the amount, working towards a title and pursuing the claim. The service is free of charge.
Will I lose rights over my child? ▾
No. This worry is common and unfounded: the assistance concerns only maintenance and parentage. Parental responsibility is untouched, and the application can be withdrawn at any time.
Why is an enforceable title necessary? ▾
Because without one there is no basis for enforcement. A verbal understanding or voluntary transfers end the moment the relationship sours. A title can be created free or cheaply at the youth welfare office or a notary.
What if the other parent lives abroad? ▾
Enforcement abroad is possible but runs through a separate international procedure and takes longer. Start with the youth welfare office anyway: they know which route applies to which country.