Child support law in the UK

Child support law in the UK governs a system of child maintenance that aims to make regular, reliable financial support a reality in every child’s life following the separation of their parents. Child maintenance payments may be set either by private agreement between the parents, by the CSA, or by the courts.

If you and your partner wish to arrange a private agreement, the CSA has various resources to provide guidance on working out how much you or your partner should pay, in accordance with the child support law in the UK. You may vary from this figure if both of you agree. If you are going through the court system for a divorce, you may ask the court to formalise this agreement by making a consent order. This makes your agreement legally binding. If your partner fails to pay the amount owing under a consent order, you can ask the court to enforce it. If your partner fails to pay the amount owing under a private agreement, you cannot apply to the court, and will instead need to apply to the CSA. You may choose to stop a private agreement and use the CSA if you wish. If you wish to use the CSA rather than a consent order, you can do so after one year of the order being in place. If your partner fails to pay a CSA ordered amount, the CSA has various enforcement mechanisms available to it.

There are certain other complex areas of child support law in the UK, for example: if you wish to obtain child maintenance from your partner who is not your child’s natural parent; if the non-resident parent denies they are the child’s parent; or if the CSA cannot find or contact the non-resident parent. It is incredibly complicated, and a specialist solicitor will be able to help.

If you would like to obtain legal advice on child support law in the UK, Contact Law can put you in touch with local specialist family / child support solicitors free of charge. So, if you have any questions or would like our help in finding local specialist family / child support solicitors please call us on 0800 1777 162 or complete the web-form above.

Last Updated on 02/03/2010