TURKISH DIVORCE & FAMILY LAW • INTERNATIONAL CLIENTS
How should maintenance arrears be recorded?
Build a schedule showing each due payment, amounts received and the remaining balance. Preserve the order and proof of transfers. Separate arrears from future instalments; the enforcement route can depend on where the debtor and executable assets are located.
International family-law consultation · illustrative scene
Maintenance
Legal context
Children and finances are separate workstreams, not automatic by-products of divorce.
Turkish courts assess custody and contact through the child’s interests and the facts of the case. A passport does not decide custody. Habitual residence, daily care, schooling, health, safety and each parent’s relationship with the child may matter. A cross-border removal or retention can also raise a separate Hague Convention return issue.
There is no universal fixed percentage for maintenance in Turkish law. The type of support, needs, resources, living conditions and evidence are assessed. Matrimonial property is mapped by regime, acquisition date, funding source, title and debt; Turkish and foreign assets may need different proceedings or enforcement measures.
Illustrative consultation scene; the people shown are not identified as office staff.
Prepare for a consultation
Prepare income records, a monthly budget and a table of payments already made.
Prepare a one-page timeline and list of existing proceedings.
Separate immediate needs from final financial and parenting arrangements.
Discuss representation, attendance and international service.
Related questions
Can maintenance be requested while the divorce is pending?
Interim needs should be identified separately from final financial claims. Record actual living costs, income, dependants and existing payments. The available measure and amount depend on the applicable procedure and facts; a final divorce need not be the starting point for discussing immediate support.
Maintenance →Which child expenses should be documented?
Explain regular education, health, housing, transport and care expenses with appropriate records. Distinguish necessary recurring needs from exceptional spending. A transparent budget supports assessment more effectively than an unexplained total or a percentage copied from another family’s case.
Maintenance →Is there a fixed maintenance percentage in Türkiye?
Do not assume a single percentage governs every case. The claim type, needs, resources, living conditions and evidence matter. Separate child support, spousal support and compensation before estimating or negotiating amounts.
For clients in the UK, the United States and other English-speaking countries, familiar labels can conceal different legal effects. A final divorce order, a financial order and a parenting arrangement should be identified separately. The place of marriage alone does not decide jurisdiction or the applicable law. Planning begins with the result required in Türkiye and the result required abroad.
The legal framework behind this page
The exact document list and foreign-authority practice must be rechecked on the transaction date.
