A horticulturalist from Poeldijk who must revise maintenance following a fall in a greenhouse complex will be dealing with different amounts from next year onwards. The Expert Group on Maintenance Standards adjusts the calculation rules for inflation and tax changes. Three specific adjustments affect both ongoing proceedings and new applications.
How the Expert Group Adjusts the Tables
TREMA standards do not constitute legislation, but are used as a guideline by virtually all courts. The Expert Group, comprising judges, lawyers and academics, updates the tables biennially. Any deviation requires clear reasoning in the judgment.
Increase in Social Assistance Standard (bijstandsnorm)
The amount that a maintenance debtor must retain for themselves at a minimum rises by approximately 3.8 per cent. For a single person without children this amounts to around €1,230 per month. People on low incomes therefore have less scope for payments. Seasonal workers in the greenhouse complexes around De Lier notice this immediately.
Adjustment of Non-Support Capacity Items (draagkrachtloze posten)
The portion of income reserved for fixed costs is increasing:
- Maximum notional housing costs: €870 becomes €905
- Health insurance premium: €165 becomes €178
- Unavoidable child-related costs: €89 becomes €96
The result is that maintenance amounts for middle incomes decrease slightly.
Lower Income-Dependent Combination Credit
The tax relief for working parents with a 50/50 arrangement falls from €2,694 to €2,481. This mainly affects families with young children working in horticulture who have shared parenting arrangements.
Consequences for Ongoing Cases
If net disposable income changes by more than ten per cent, revision may be requested on the basis of article 1:401 BW. Proceedings still pending before the Rechtbank Den Haag are almost always calculated using the new tables.
What to Do in an Ongoing Divorce
Have your lawyer or mediator update the calculation. A visit to the Arslan office at Verdilaan 30 in Naaldwijk can help obtain quick insight into the new amounts. Sometimes this makes a difference of tens of euros per month.
Online Tools and Professional Calculations
Only authorised lawyers and mediators produce officially valid calculations. Systems such as ALIMOREN provide only an indication and do not count as evidence before the court.