benefit of finnish child who lives abroad

maminadz · Post by **maminadz** » Wed Jul 06, 2011 10:51 am

Dear All,
I am indonesian woman officially married to a finnish man, but due to some issues we happen to live apart, I am living in Indonesia and my husband is in Finland. From the marriage, I have a daughter, 4 years old, living with me, and she's officially registered as Indonesian and Finnish citizen.
My question is, what are benefits for my finnish daughter?...
Doesn't she get any child support money or health insurance if she is not in Finland?..
If I devorced, is it possible if I sent my daughter to have education in Finland so she can get child support there?..
I need to know, because my husband didn't inform me as much as I want to know..
Thanks before.

**Sponsor:**

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Wed Jul 06, 2011 12:07 pm

maminadz wrote: Doesn't she get any child support money or health insurance if she is not in Finland?..

Family benefits and health insurance are for those who actually live here (there are some, mostly EU exceptions, but it seems clear none of them would apply here).

A former husband should of course pay child support. If he is not doing it voluntarily it seems to be he can be sued for it also in his local court (presumably also in Indonesian court, I don't want to say anything about that). It seems to me that one should really have proper legal expertise to answer how the court should take into account for example and health care and education costs in foreign country.

Before child support is decided there must be of course be some decision on custody of the child. Was he aware and in agreement with your decision to move back to Indonesia with your daughter?

(also I don't know what is the legal position of still official husband, except for the general principle that parents are jointly responsible for the material well-being of their children)

If I devorced, is it possible if I sent my daughter to have education in Finland so she can get child support there?

As a citizen she can of course now and in the future move to Finland. The normal social benefits regulations would apply then to her. (If she does not live here at the time, better to check what possible rules are then valid about retaining a Finnish citizenship when she gets adult).

My hunch is that if you had custody of the child at the time but would send her to live with some third person in Finland, your former husband (if he wanted) would have grounds to get the custody decision reversed.

rinso · Post by **rinso** » Wed Jul 06, 2011 12:42 pm

My question is, what are benefits for my finnish daughter?...

Benefits are for Finnish residents.
You seems to be neither Finnish resident nor citizen, so you cannot claim from the Finnish system.
If your daughter would live with her father in Finland, he could claim child benefits. But you have to try your luck with the Indonesian system.

If I devorced, is it possible if I sent my daughter to have education in Finland so she can get child support there?..

She can get study allowance but that is not enough to live from, so she needs extra support (from her father?). When he becomes the main care giver, he can get the child benefits. (until she is 16 iirc).

If you divorce, you can try to get child support from your ex. (it can be as low as €150,=/month) But it also depends on the conditions of the marriage and the divorce. As Rip says, we cannot speculate on the Indonesian system.

Rip wrote:My hunch is that if you had custody of the child at the time but would send her to live with some third person in Finland, your former husband (if he wanted) would have grounds to get the custody decision reversed.

I have a hunch that your husband is not happy with you taking his daughter away to Indonesia. If it was not done with his agreement, he could indeed have a case as Rip suggests.

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Wed Jul 06, 2011 1:15 pm

rinso wrote: I have a hunch that your husband is not happy with you taking his daughter away to Indonesia. If it was not done with his agreement, he could indeed have a case as Rip suggests.

Actually I was thinking that even if there were a valid custody agreement it could be grounds to revoke it, if the child would stop living with the mother.

If this is a child abduction case then it would be strange to expect any support what so ever for the mother from the Finnish authorities.

CatNip · Post by **CatNip** » Wed Jul 06, 2011 1:40 pm

I think a parent of a Finnish (citizen) child must take care of the alimony, even if the child would be abroad and the parent in Finland.

Perhaps a Finnish embassy would be able to help out? At least this story gives an idea that many of the appeals are done via the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs

http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Sharp+ ... 5228017983

Pursuivant · Post by **Pursuivant** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 1:39 am

If the husband is in Finland, then he can apply for lapsilisä (the estonian builders do it)
If there is a divorce, then the father has to pay child support.

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 5:34 am

Pursuivant wrote:If the husband is in Finland, then he can apply for lapsilisä (the estonian builders do it)

The rest of the family would need to be within EU/EEA area too and they are not.

( http://www.kela.fi/in/internet/english. ... enDocument )

Finland Forum

Find information about moving to, living in and life in Finland