Those entitled to advance maintenance payments are single parents who live with their child in one household and where the parent liable for maintenance does not meet their maintenance obligations, or does so incompletely or irregularly. Children with a deceased parent may also be entitled to advance maintenance payments if no or insufficient orphan's benefits are paid.

The child's center of life must clearly be in your household. If you are implementing a shared custody arrangement, you are not entitled to advance maintenance payments. You must not have married a new partner.

The advance maintenance payment is intended to ensure that the child is financially secure despite the separation or divorce of the parents. It serves as a bridge until the parent who is obliged to pay maintenance meets their payment obligations. The amount of the advance maintenance payment depends on the age of the child. There are fixed amounts that are adjusted regularly. These amounts are usually lower than the actual maintenance that the parent who is obliged to pay maintenance would have to pay. The amount of the advance maintenance payment is calculated from the amount of the respective minimum maintenance rates minus child benefit shares and, if applicable, minus any maintenance payments or orphan's benefits already being paid.

The current advance maintenance payment since January 1, 2026, is: 

• EUR 227.00 per month for children up to 5 years of age
• for children aged 6 to 11: EUR 299.00 per month
• for children aged 12 to 17: EUR 394.00 per month

To receive an advance on maintenance payments, an application must be submitted to the relevant maintenance advance office. Various documents and evidence are required for this.

Advance maintenance payments are paid until the child reaches the age of 18 at the latest. The state has the right to reclaim the advance payments from the parent who is obliged to pay maintenance. This is done in a recourse procedure, in which the parent who is obliged to pay maintenance is assessed in terms of their ability to pay maintenance and then requested to make the payment. If no voluntary payments are made, enforcement proceedings are initiated.

The advance maintenance payment is always paid at the beginning of a calendar month and can be applied for retroactively for one month. 

In Wiesbaden, the advance maintenance payments office operates in two city administration buildings. The location responsible for you depends on your personal address.

One administrative location is at Konradinerallee 11, 65187 Wiesbaden, and can be reached by public transport via the "Weidenbornstraße/JUVZ" stop. 

The other administrative office is located at Dotzheimerstraße 99, 65197 Wiesbaden and can be reached by public transport via the "Loreleiring" stop.