Under the Law on Social and Child Protection a single parent is a parent who is divorced or whose other parent has died or is unknown, and who supports the child; the status lasts until they enter a marriage or cohabitation. The Labour Law gives such a parent of a child under seven special protection: without their written consent they cannot be relocated to another place outside their residence or made to work overtime and at night, and the employer cannot terminate the contract because they are the single parent of a child under seven, as long as they meet their obligations. A single parent can receive social assistance even when able to work, if income and assets are within the limits, and if the other parent does not pay maintenance there is the Alimony Fund.
This guide brings together a single parent's rights from several laws in one place.
Who is a single parent under the law?
| Condition | Explanation |
| status of the other parent | the parents are divorced, or the other parent has died, or is unknown |
| support | the single parent supports the child or exercises extended parental rights |
| duration | until a marriage or cohabitation is entered into |
- The status is proven with documents on the divorce, the death of the other parent or the child's entry in the civil register; check the exact list for each right with the social work centre.
- The law distinguishes a single parent from a person without support, an adult unable to work with no one to support them.
What protection do they have at work?
| Protection | For whom | Labour Law |
| no relocation to another place outside residence without written consent | single parent of a child under seven | Article 50 |
| no termination of the employment contract because of that status | single parent of a child up to seven or of a child with developmental disabilities, if they meet their obligations | Article 123 |
| overtime and night work only with written consent | single parent of a child under seven | Article 125 |
- Night work is work between 22 and 6 o'clock.
- The same protections apply to pregnant employees, employees with children up to five in case of relocation, and parents of children with developmental disabilities.
- An employer asking for overtime or night work needs your written consent; a spoken "fine" is not enough.
When is a single parent entitled to social assistance?
- The right to family social assistance (MOP) belongs to individuals and families unable to work, and among those able to work the law expressly lists the single parent, the pregnant woman and the parent supporting a child.
- The condition is that the family's income and assets do not exceed the legal limits.
- The application goes to the social work centre where you live; amounts per household size from 1 July 2026 are in our guide to MOP, linked below.
What if the other parent does not pay maintenance?
- Child maintenance is set by the court, in the divorce proceedings or in a separate maintenance claim.
- If the paying parent does not pay, enforcement is carried out through a public bailiff.
- If the parent does not pay for two months in a row, the child is entitled to temporary maintenance from the Alimony Fund: the application goes to the guardianship authority free of charge, the decision is issued within 15 days, and the state recovers the amount with interest from the debtor parent.
What forms of family placement exist?
Under the amendments to the Law on Social and Child Protection of April 2026 (Official Gazette 52/2026), a single parent with a child up to the age of three can be provided with:
| Form | When |
| standard family placement | to support the parent in taking on independent care of the child |
| family placement with intensive or additional support | when the parent receives personal disability allowance or the care and assistance allowance |
| emergency family placement | up to 30 days a year, when parent and child are victims or at risk of violence, abuse or neglect, or their basic needs are suddenly at risk |
- A single parent with a child without family support and adequate living conditions is by law a beneficiary of social protection, so for placement and other services they turn to the social work centre.
Amounts and conditions for MOP are in our guide to social assistance, and temporary maintenance in the guide to the Alimony Fund. How child support is set is explained in the guide to child support, and child allowances in the guide to child benefit.
Frequently asked questions
Who counts as a single parent in Montenegro? A parent who is divorced, or whose other parent has died or is unknown, and who supports the child, until they enter a marriage or cohabitation.
Does a single mother have to work nights? Not if she has a child under seven. Overtime and night work are allowed only with her written consent.
Can an employer dismiss a single parent? It cannot terminate the contract because the employee is the single parent of a child up to seven or of a child with developmental disabilities, if the employee meets the obligations under the law, the collective agreement and the employment contract.
Is a single parent entitled to MOP if able to work? Yes. A single parent able to work can receive social assistance if the family's income and assets are within the legal limits.
What if the child's father or mother does not pay child support? Enforcement is started, and if the parent does not pay for two months in a row, the Alimony Fund pays temporary maintenance to the child and recovers the debt from the parent.
Does a single parent lose the status when entering a cohabitation? Yes. Single parent status lasts until a marriage or cohabitation is entered into.
Sources
The concept of a single parent, MOP and placement services are set by the Law on Social and Child Protection (Article 2), as amended by 33/2025 (beneficiaries of social protection and MOP) and 52/2026 (Articles 66 and 67, family placement). Protection at work is set by the Labour Law (Articles 50, 123 and 125), and the 51/2026 amendments do not narrow these provisions. Information checked on 29 September 2026. Fijaka is a classifieds platform; this text is not legal advice.