Setting child support by agreement in France: parenting agreement, approval, CAF
Two parents who agree do not need a court case, but they do need a document that holds.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy
French parents who get along can set child support themselves in a parenting agreement (“convention parentale”), without a court case. The document covers parental authority, where the child lives, visiting rights and support; service-public.fr provides two templates, one for shared residence and one for residence with one parent. To give the agreement the force of a judgment, it must be approved by the family court judge, a free procedure without a lawyer and usually without a hearing. Unmarried parents can also have an enforceable title issued by the CAF or the MSA, which sets up ARIPA’s intermediation. The amount is up to the parents, but starting from the Ministry table avoids imbalances: on €2,300 with one child and standard visiting, it gives €222 a month. International couples often find this route less stressful than a contested hearing in a second language. The calculator below suggests an amount to write in.
The amount to write into the agreement
Table benchmark, per month
€222
| Per child | €222 |
| Over a year | €2,670 |
| Rounded to the euro | €222 |
Three ways to give the agreement force
| Route | For whom | Cost | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approval by the family court judge | all parents (married, PACS, unmarried) | free without a lawyer | enforceable, ARIPA possible |
| Enforceable title issued by the CAF or MSA | unmarried, separated parents | free | enforceable, ARIPA intermediation |
| Divorce by mutual consent agreement | spouses divorcing | lawyers’ fees and filing with a notary | enforceable, ARIPA automatic unless refused |
Clauses that prevent disputes
- The amount per child, not just a total, so it can be adjusted when the eldest becomes self-supporting.
- The payment date and method (standing transfer or intermediation), knowing that ARIPA intermediation is set up automatically with an enforceable title unless both parents refuse.
- Indexation: the INSEE index chosen, the annual date and the formula amount × new index ÷ base index.
- Extra costs: which ones (unreimbursed health costs, school trips, driving lessons) and how they are split, equally or in proportion to income.
- Duration: a reminder that support continues after 18 while the child is not self-supporting, and what evidence will be provided.
Using the table as a starting point
The agreement leaves the amount to the parents, but an amount far from the table can lead the judge to refuse approval if the child’s interest does not seem protected. The table also serves as neutral ground: each parent can check the calculation, and any gap is justified by concrete facts, such as one parent paying school meals or activities directly. The calculator gives the starting figure, extra costs the split, and indexation the clause.
When circumstances change
Arrangements for a child are never final: a move, a change of custody pattern or a job loss can justify revisiting support. Parents can sign a new agreement and have it approved, or, failing agreement, apply to the judge. Until a new approved agreement replaces the old one, the old one applies: a verbal agreement to reduce support does not protect the paying parent if a dispute arises later. See changing the amount.
What approval does in practice
Approval turns a private agreement into an enforceable title. From then on, unpaid support can be recovered by ARIPA, by direct payment or by a seizure, exactly as if a judge had set it after a hearing. It also triggers ARIPA intermediation unless both parents refuse it. For the parents, the practical gain is certainty: a clear amount, a date, an indexation rule, and a document that both the CAF and a commissaire de justice will act on.
Family mediation, to reach the agreement
When parents want to agree but cannot manage it alone, family mediation helps build the agreement: a neutral third party structures the discussion on residence, visiting and support. Service-public.fr mentions it as a way to reach an amicable solution. The agreement reached is then written into a parenting agreement, to be approved so that it becomes enforceable. Mediation does not set support itself: it helps the parents agree on a figure, often starting from the Ministry table, and on the costs that come on top.