The expert spoke about the transition to calculating alimony payments based on regional salaries.

Starting from March 1, 2026, alimony payments will be calculated based on the average salary in the region when calculating a single allowance for families with children. In Moscow, such payments per child will amount to about 43,437 rubles. This was announced on February 27 by Sofya Lukinova, head of the legal department of VMT Consult, in a conversation with Izvestia.

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Previously, when determining the minimum amount of alimony, which was taken into account for calculating a single benefit, the federal minimum wage was used. So, the minimum for one child was 6,773 rubles, for two children — 9,031 rubles, for three or more — 13,547 rubles, while the shares remained the same: 25%, 33% and 50% of the minimum wage, respectively.

However, starting from March 1, the amount of alimony that is included in family income will depend on the average salary in the region. According to Rosstat, in Moscow, this figure amounted to 173,748 rubles by the end of 2025. In this case, alimony for one child will be 43,437 rubles, for two children — 57,337 rubles, for three or more — 86,874 rubles. In the Moscow Region, with an average salary of 119,732 rubles, payments will amount to 29,933 rubles for one child, 39,512 rubles for two and 59,866 rubles for three or more. In St. Petersburg, with an average salary of 122,179 rubles, the amount of alimony is set at 30,545 rubles, 40,319 rubles and 61,089 rubles, respectively.

Accordingly, the minimum amount of alimony taken into account will vary significantly depending on the region and income level in it. At the same time, the new rules will be applied only in cases where there is no court decision. If alimony payments have already been ordered by the court, their calculation will continue according to the same principles, regardless of the innovations.

"The new system will make social support more targeted, reducing the number of cases of artificially low incomes, but the risk increases that families who have reached agreements privately or through a notary will be left without social support," she added.

According to the expert, this may lead to an increase in the number of appeals to the court for the official appointment of alimony instead of amicable solutions, which may increase the burden on the judicial system and social services.

"In the long term, this will lead to the formation of a higher legal culture, strengthening state control over the performance of parental duties and increasing the effectiveness of the alimony collection system," Lukinova stressed.