1. Deutsches Institut für Jugendhilfe und Familienrecht e.V. (DIJuF) Increasing Family Diversity and Child Support in Europe Recovery of Child Support and Family Maintenance in Asia-Pacific and Worldwide Dr. Thomas Meysen German Institute for Youth Human Services and Family Law Deutsches Institut für Jugendhilfe und Familienrecht e.V. (DIJuF) Hong Kong, 9-11 Nov. 2015

2. Deutsches Institut für Jugendhilfe und Familienrecht e.V. (DIJuF) Law tradition about to crumble? Roman-law principles “Mater semper certa est.” “The mother is always certain.” “Pater semper incertus est.” “The father is always uncertain.” “Pater est quem nuptiae demonstrant.” “Father is who proved so by marriage.”

3. Deutsches Institut für Jugendhilfe und Familienrecht e.V. (DIJuF) Who are the child‘s parents? (intended) father (inten- ded) mother child egg cell donor woman carrying to term sperm donor

4. Deutsches Institut für Jugendhilfe und Familienrecht e.V. (DIJuF) Every child needs a father!? Roman law tradition: „mater semper certa est“ mother – father – child mother – mother – child father – father – child 16 (+ 4): Austria, Bosnia- Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic (CP), Estonia, Greece (CP), Hungary (CP), Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta (CP), Poland, Portugal (marriage), Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Turkey, Ukraine 12 (+3): Belgium, Denmark (CP), Finland (2017), France (CP), Germany (CP), Ireland (referendum), Iceland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden (CP), Switzerland (CP), United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland)

5. Mapping same-sex marriage in Europe

6. Deutsches Institut für Jugendhilfe und Familienrecht e.V. (DIJuF) What if a parent proves “wrong”? German insights “false” father  paid child support before disestablishment of paternity, claims recourse mother  not liable for damages of “false” father  personal rights of mother to privacy about her sexuality generally more weighty than financial interests of “false” father to recourse  weak liability to give information about who she had sexual intercourse with in relevant time; right to information inadmissible to enforcement (potential) “real” father  “false” father has claim of recourse only after disestablishment of his paternity  establishment of paternity of “real” father and claim of recourse can be called for in same proceeding Federal Constitutional Court 24 Feb. 2015 (1 BvR 472/14) Supreme Court 2 Jul. 2014 (XII ZB 201/13); 20 Feb. 2013 (XII ZB 412/11); 11 Jan. 2012 (XII ZR 194/09); 22 Oct. 2010 (XII ZR 46/07)

7. Deutsches Institut für Jugendhilfe und Familienrecht e.V. (DIJuF) Joint custody/shared parenting, shared child support obligation? Child’s reality in Europe: not only residence and visitation former times: children live with one parent and visit other parent every other weekend Nowadays: increasing number live multiple forms of parenting after separation/divorce effect on child support: calculation cannot stay blind  income shares models superior to models that only take obligor’s income into account

8. Deutsches Institut für Jugendhilfe und Familienrecht e.V. (DIJuF) Joint custody/shared parenting, shared child support obligation? Calculation models Germany: judicial system muddling through  exactly shared parenting: percental child support obli- gations according to calculation out of shared income  if more than ten days: calculation to discretion of court (deviance from guidelines; estimation of burden of costs) Norway: high functioning administrative system (excellent IT)  shared incomes model  reduction of amount per overnight with obligor, starting from two overnights a month on United Kingdom: judicial system with issues  reduction after every 52 overnights by 1/7 of owed child support

9. Deutsches Institut für Jugendhilfe und Familienrecht e.V. (DIJuF) Can a child have multiple parents? two parents multiple parents, no child support obligation multiple parents, with child support obligation 18 (+5): Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine 3: Finland, Germany, United Kingdom 7: Austria, Bulgaria, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal

10. Deutsches Institut für Jugendhilfe und Familienrecht e.V. (DIJuF) multiple parents without financial responsibilities Multiple parents, no child support obligation Finland, United Kingdom: visitation rights after adoption Germany: distinction between legal father and (just) biological father  approval of biological fatherhood  visitation rights if it serves the child’s best interests  right to information if not inconsistent with child’s best interests

11. Deutsches Institut für Jugendhilfe und Familienrecht e.V. (DIJuF) multiple parents with financial responsibilities Multiple parents, with child support obligation Austria (single person adoption), Bulgaria (simple adoption), France (“adoption simple”), Luxembourg (“adoption simple”), Poland (simple adoption), Portugal (restricted adoption)  child support responsibilities maintain but only as compensation liability of ex-parents, subsidiary to adoptive parents Netherlands  stepparent: child support obligation for children of his/her spouse who live in his/her household  custody in same-sex marriage with parent outside or after partner adoption

12. Deutsches Institut für Jugendhilfe und Familienrecht e.V. (DIJuF) Thank you! Dr. Thomas Meysen German Institute for Youth Human Services and Family Law Deutsches Institut für Jugendhilfe und Familienrecht e.V. (DIJuF) Poststr. 17 / P.O. Box 10 20 20 D-69115 Heidelberg / D-69010 Heidelberg Tel.: +49-6221-9818-11 Fax: +49-6221-9818-28 E-Mail: thomas.meysen@dijuf.dethomas.meysen@dijuf.de www.childsupport-worldwide.org www.dijuf.de