Child maintenance not paid: preparing a payment record in France
Published on 25/09/2026
Free tool The fact log, ready to print Open the fact logChild maintenance not paid needs a month-by-month record before a single total. This guide concerns French law. It helps organise information without calculating an enforceable debt or choosing an individual recovery procedure.
Aridelle's free fact log provides a starting point for dates and references to supporting documents.
What belongs in an unpaid maintenance table?
| Item | Information to record |
|---|---|
| Amount due | Month, due date and amount in the applicable instrument |
| Basis | Decision or agreement; applicable indexation clause |
| Money received | Date, amount and bank reference or receipt |
| Partial payment | Actual amount received, not a wholly unpaid month |
| Difference | Amount still to reconcile with documents |
A late transfer may relate to an earlier month. Its allocation remains uncertain unless established. Gifts and direct purchases are not automatically equivalent to the required payment. Missing information stays marked as uncertain.
CAF, MSA, Aripa or a judicial officer?
The official unpaid maintenance guide explains Aripa's recovery and payment intermediation services and the role of a commissaire de justice. Compulsory recovery requires an enforceable instrument. Conditions and recoverable periods depend on the route used.
A possible criminal complaint and recovery are distinct processes. The table neither establishes an offence by itself nor guarantees repayment.
How can the documents be organised?
A clear file brings together the complete instrument, monthly record, payment evidence and references to steps already taken. Original documents remain separate from summaries. Material unrelated to the request need not be mixed into the chronology.
The general maintenance guide covers setting and changing the amount. This page focuses on payments, without an annual rate table. A lawyer or a point-justice can explain the options for a particular situation.