What is the procedure of child maintenance?

Visit the nearest magistrates’ court to apply for child maintenance and take the following documents

Birth certificate of your child/children.
Your identity document.
Proof of residence.
A divorce settlement.
Proof of your monthly income and expenses.

How does the court deal with Child Maintenance?

The court will serve a summons (a letter instructing a person to come to court) on the respondent (the parent or guardian who should pay maintenance) to appear in court on a specific date to discuss the matter. The magistrate will review the relevant documentation.

When do you need to make a child maintenance arrangement?

Child maintenance is an arrangement between you and the other parent of your child. It covers how your child’s living costs will be paid for when one of the parents no longer lives with them. It’s made when you’ve separated from the other parent (or if you’ve never been in a relationship). This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).

Is it legal for a parent to pay for Child Maintenance?

Parents have a legal responsibility to provide financially for their children even if they no longer live with them. When child maintenance is paid it can make a significant difference to the lives of families. This guide sets out the various types of child maintenance arrangements available to parents.

When do you have to claim maintenance from a parent?

Once the child reaches the age of 18 years, the onus is on the child to prove how much maintenance he/she needs. A child that is self-supporting cannot claim maintenance from his/her parents. The duty to support a child ends at the child’s death but not at the parent’s death.

Who is responsible for the maintenance of a child?

For more information see Children and the law: parental responsibility. Non-resident parent /paying parent – The parent who does not have day-to-day care of the child and pays child maintenance to the resident/receiving parent.

What happens in a child maintenance court case?

This they would do through the Maintenance Court enquiry process. Once a maintenance order is made, it becomes a criminal offense not to adhere to it. The court may even issue a warrant attaching property, or salary. Each maintenance court has a maintenance investigator. What this investigator does is gather evidence in a maintenance court case.