Maintenance obligation

In Swiss family law, maintenance obligations secure the material support owed within family relationships. They are most important between parents and children, between spouses during marriage, and between former spouses after divorce where legal conditions are met. Amounts depend on needs, resources, earning capacity, childcare, standard of living, and fairness. Child maintenance includes cash support and care, and generally has priority in practice. Maintenance may be agreed or ordered by a court and can later be modified if circumstances change substantially.