QUICK ANSWER
The legal position in one minute
Interim support during proceedings, child support and post-divorce poverty maintenance serve different purposes and have different legal conditions. Courts examine the parties’ economic and social circumstances and the child’s needs where relevant. A cross-border case must also ask in which country the order can realistically be collected and how currency or indexation terms will operate.
01
Separate the type of financial support
Interim maintenance can address living needs while the spouses live separately or while a divorce is pending. Child support contributes to the child’s care, education, health and ordinary living expenses. Post-divorce poverty maintenance under Article 175 of the Civil Code protects a former spouse who would fall into poverty because of divorce, subject to its statutory requirements.
The label used in a translation is not decisive. Identify the beneficiary, legal basis, start date, duration, adjustment method and event that may end or change the obligation.
02
How courts assess amount
The court may examine regular and irregular income, property, housing, essential expenses, debts, care responsibilities and the child’s actual needs. Lifestyle claims should be supported by records rather than broad estimates. Hidden, variable or foreign income may require institutional documents and currency analysis.
No single percentage of salary applies to every case. Online calculators cannot replace the evidential assessment. A proposed figure should be tested against a monthly budget and the payer’s documented capacity.
03
Evidence for needs and resources
Useful records may include payroll, tax, bank and company documents; rent or mortgage; health and school expenses; childcare; transport; insurance; debt; and proof of other dependants. Documents should be organised by month and country.
A foreign-language or foreign-currency document needs a clear date, source and conversion method. One unusually high or low month should not be presented as a stable annual picture without explanation.
04
Child support and shared care
The child’s right to appropriate support is distinct from the parents’ dispute. Custody or substantial contact does not automatically remove the other parent’s duty to contribute. Care time, direct expenditure and each parent’s resources must be assessed within the child’s overall needs.
International schooling, travel and healthcare can be significant. The order or agreement should say which expenses are included in periodic support and how exceptional costs will be approved and shared.
05
Increase, reduction and termination
A final support amount is not necessarily permanent. A material change in income, needs, care, currency or other conditions may support an application to increase, reduce or end an obligation, depending on the type of maintenance and statutory rules.
Do not stop payment unilaterally because circumstances changed. Until the order is lawfully changed or a statutory terminating event clearly operates, unpaid amounts can create enforcement exposure.
06
Cross-border drafting and enforcement
Identify the country of the payer’s income and assets. State the currency, payment account, bank charges, due date and any lawful adjustment method clearly. A Turkish order that cannot be located, served or enforced against assets abroad may require a separate foreign process.
Likewise, a foreign maintenance order may require recognition or enforcement in Türkiye. The source judgment, finality, service history and exact payment calculation should be assembled before enforcement is attempted.
DOCUMENT PREPARATION
Documents to organise before an initial review
Do not send originals until the receiving authority and required form have been identified. Begin with legible, complete copies and retain the source, page order and verification details.
- Monthly needs budget with supporting invoices
- Income, tax, bank and company records
- Housing, debt and insurance documents
- Childcare, school, medical and activity expenses
- Current maintenance order or signed settlement
- Payment history and arrears calculation by date and currency
COMMON QUESTIONS
Questions international families often ask
Is Turkish alimony always a percentage of salary?
No. There is no single statutory percentage for every case. The legal basis, needs, resources and evidence determine the assessment.
Can a working spouse receive post-divorce maintenance?
Employment does not answer the question by itself. The statutory poverty, fault and financial conditions must be assessed from the complete circumstances.
Can child support be changed later?
Yes, a significant change in the child’s needs or the parents’ circumstances may justify a new application. The existing order should be followed until lawfully changed.
Can a Turkish support order be collected abroad?
Possibly, but the foreign country’s recognition and enforcement system must be checked. Drafting, service, finality and asset location matter.
PRIMARY MATERIAL
Official sources used for this guide
Legislation and treaty status can change. Open the official source and check the current text before relying on a rule for a live case.
Istanbul Bar Association lawyer • practising since 1999