In Portugal, there is no rule regarding mandatory and automatic updating of child or youth support payments.
This means that, in the absence of an explicit provision, the amount established in the parenting plan or court judgment (when parental responsibilities have been defined within a legal action) will remain the same year after year.
However, it is common to establish an annual update rule for child support. The updating criterion is often the inflation rate calculated for the previous year. Nevertheless, other criteria may be defined, such as, for example, the percentage increase in the income of the obligated party to pay child maintenance.
What does this mean in practice?
How do I calculate the amount I need to pay/receive in 2024 in my specific case?
To calculate the value of the child maintenance you should multiply the current maintenance value by 1,043.
“Maintenance amount in 2024 = maintenance amount in 2023 x 1,043”
In practice, if you were paying/receiving €200,00 in 2023, then you will pay/receive €208,60 in 2024 (€200 x 1,043).
In cases where the update of child maintenance is determined by reference to criteria other than inflation, you should use the applicable criterion to calculate the amount due in 2024.