Maintenance indexation in 2026: check the amount, base year and payments

1. Start with the current agreement

Find the decision or agreement with the determined amount. Check the effective date, child or partner involved and any subsequent changes. An amount stated on an old bank transfer is not a reliable source if a new determination or written agreement has subsequently been made.

Also read the passage about indexing. The application may raise questions if an exception has been agreed or the text is unclear. If necessary, have it assessed what legally applies. Do not use the general explanation here to dismiss a specific exclusion clause without investigation.

2. What changes with the annual adjustment?

The LBIO describes the annual increase from 1 January. The percentage follows from the official annual determination. The increase is different from a complete assessment of need and capacity. You therefore collect different information for a normal indexation check than for a substantively new alimony amount.

A stable wage does not therefore automatically mean that the annual indexation will no longer apply. Conversely, a higher salary does not prove that you will receive an appropriate new contribution solely through indexation. If the financial principles change significantly, a separate recalculation may be required in addition to the normal indexation question.

3. Calculation example for one transition

Take a fictitious contribution of 100 euros that may be indexed for the relevant transition to 2026. The calculation step is 100 multiplied by 1.046. That gives 104.60 euros. This is an illustration of the percentage only; it does not say what someone in your family should pay.

With a different basic amount, the calculation method remains the same. Do keep more than the outcome: write down the base year, the percentage and why this amount is the starting point. The arithmetic operation can be correct while the chosen basis is not legally or historically correct.

4. Several years require a continuous series

If indexing has not been processed previously, you work year by year. An increase in a subsequent year is in line with the amount relevant for that year. Therefore, do not simply add percentages together without further calculation and do not apply one recent percentage to all old years.

Use the official LBIO calculation tool and check the data you enter. Keep the detailed calculation alongside the original court order. An interim change may create a new starting point; the calculation should then not continue blindly as if the change had never occurred.

5. Separate payment control from amount control

In your monthly overview, enter the amount due and the amount actually received. This prevents an automatic payment amount that is set too low from being confused with a completely missed month. Keep a disputed offset or additional purchase visible as a separate item.

If there is a difference, ask for an explanation based on that overview. A short verifiable statement is often more useful than just the statement that too little has been paid for years. Longstanding arrears also raise legal questions about collection. Have these assessed rather than assuming unlimited recovery options.

6. Hypothetical example: the standing order kept the old amount

Two parents have a contribution to which indexation applies. The payer has set a fixed bank order and is not adjusting it. The recipient will see a payment every month and will notice the difference later. The absence of a missed transfer does not mean that all amounts due have been paid exactly.

The solution starts with reconstructing the correct amount per year and the actual receipts. The parties can then discuss the future payment amount and the past separately. The example does not prove how large a recoverable debt is; for this purpose, the documents, periods and applicable conditions must be examined.

7. Make the annual check part of the agreement

Record who looks up the official percentage and how you inform each other about the new amount. After the transition, check whether the bank order has actually been adjusted. That is an administrative routine, not a new negotiation moment on all other topics of the divorce.

This page uses the verified percentage for 2026. Only adopt a percentage for a future year after the official determination is available. If in doubt about exclusion, a changed basic amount or old arrears, ask for advice; use the calculation tool for calculations and an appropriate expert for legal interpretation.

Practical checklist

• Find the current decision and subsequent changes.
• Note the basic amount, starting year and any exception clause.
• Check the official percentages and calculate per year.
• Compare amounts due with actual receipts.
• Adjust a standing order only after checking the calculation.