What proposals does the coalition agreement include for reducing child support debt disputes?

Our aim is to protect the child and better safeguard their interests. Right now, we're seeing an unreasonable number of court disputes over the amount of child support. Figuratively speaking, thousands of euros are being spent arguing over a €40 difference in monthly payments.

Our proposal is to make greater use of artificial intelligence in calculating the support amount. The idea is to offer parents a data-driven and fair solution.

As a state, we already know whether a child has special needs, where they go to school, which extracurricular activities they attend, the parents' incomes, their financial situations, marital statuses and where they live. Based on that information, we can make a data-driven calculation.

Going to court often means that parents start blaming each other. The court records end up filled with accusations about how one parent or the other is supposedly terrible. But the child will eventually read those court documents when they grow up — and that doesn't help the real goal. Both parents should be working together and doing their best to support the child's well-being.

Here, we can use artificial intelligence for the benefit of the child, allowing us to make smarter, data-informed decisions that support both their physical and mental health. Ultimately, this can also save time and money for the two parents who are in conflict.

Since 2022, a formula for determining child support has been in effect, which takes into account the expected expenses for the child. So in the future, will artificial intelligence determine child support based on that formula?

The final decision will always be made by a judge. What we want is to reduce the number of petty disputes in court — cases where parents come in with receipts, trying to prove who bought what in cash.

These things are virtually impossible for a judge to verify. There are an overwhelming number of such cases in the courts and they often end up damaging the cooperation between the parents.

Our aim is to reduce the subjective judgment involved and move toward more data-driven decisions. Parents would only need to go to court if the data collected by the AI is incorrect — that is, if there are factual errors that need to be corrected. That can happen, of course. But otherwise, the AI system would produce a data-based recommendation and the judge would confirm it if it appears reasonable.

This way, we can spare the child from a conflict between their biological mother and father that all too often turns ugly.

So the initial decision on the amount would be made by artificial intelligence, confirmed by a judge. And parents could only take the matter to court if there are factual errors — meaning the child support amount could only be contested in court on that basis?

Exactly. Right now, the biggest court disputes tend to focus on two main issues. First, how much time each parent spends with the child — there are even arguments over cash purchases and various expenses. This consumes a lot of the family's time and creates tension around the child.

The second issue lies in a section of the Family Law Act that also needs to be amended. It currently gives judges the discretion to consider all other circumstances. Once a financial dispute over the child's needs has begun, unfortunately, parents often become very eager to bring up every possible issue in court. That's not always in the child's best interest. That aspect needs to be limited.

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