The Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995

Duration of orders for financial relief

4.—(1) The term to be specified in an order for periodical payments made under paragraph 2(2)(a) or (b) in favour of a child may begin with the date of the making of an application for the order in question or any later date or a date ascertained in accordance with sub-paragraph (8) or (10) but—

(a)shall not in the first instance extend beyond the child’s seventeenth birthday unless the court thinks it right in the circumstances of the case to specify a later date; and

(b)shall not in any event extend beyond the child’s eighteenth birthday.

(2) Head (b) of sub-paragraph (1) shall not apply in the case of a child if it appears to the court that—

(a)the child is, or will be or (if an order were made without complying with that head) would be receiving instruction at an educational establishment or undergoing training for a trade, profession or vocation, whether or not while in gainful employment; or

(b)there are special circumstances which justify the making of an order without complying with that head.

(3) An order for periodical payments made under paragraph 2(2)(a) or 3(2)(a) shall, notwithstanding anything in the order, cease to have effect on the death of the person liable to make payments under the order.

(4) Where an order is made under paragraph 2(2)(a) or (b) requiring periodical payments to be made or secured to the parent of a child, the order shall cease to have effect if—

(a)any parent making or securing the payments; and

(b)any parent to whom the payments are made or secured,

live together for a period of more than six months.

(5) An order for periodical payments made under paragraph 2(2)(a) or (b) in favour of a child to whom head (a) of sub-paragraph (2) applies shall cease to have effect in the event of his ceasing to receive instruction or undergo training as mentioned in that head.

(6) An order for periodical payments made under paragraph 3(2)(a) in favour of an applicant to whom head (a) of paragraph 3(1) applies shall cease to have effect in the event of his ceasing to receive instruction or undergo training as mentioned in that head.

(7) Where an order for periodical payments made under paragraph 2(2)(a) or (b) or paragraph 3(2)(a) ceases to have effect by virtue of sub-paragraph (5) or (6), the person to whom the periodical payments are directed by the order to be made shall give notice of the event mentioned in sub-paragraph (5) or (6) to the court; and any person failing without reasonable excuse to give such a notice shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 2 on the standard scale.

(8) Where—

(a)a maintenance assessment (“the current assessment”) is in force with respect to a child; and

(b)before the end of the period of six months beginning with the date on which the current assessment was made, an application is made for an order under paragraph 2(2)(a) or (b) for periodical payments in favour of that child,

the term to be specified in any such order made on that application may be expressed to begin on, or at any time after, the earliest permitted date.

(9) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (8) “the earliest permitted date” is whichever is the later of—

(a)the date six months before the application for the order was made; or

(b)the date on which the current assessment took effect or, where successive maintenance assessments have been continuously in force with respect to that child, the first of those assessments took effect.

(10) Where—

(a)a maintenance assessment ceases to have effect or is cancelled by or under any provision of the Child Support (Northern Ireland) Order 1991(1); and

(b)before the end of the period of six months beginning with the relevant date, an application is made for an order for periodical payments under paragraph 2(2)(a) or (b) in favour of a child with respect to whom that maintenance assessment was in force immediately before it ceased to have effect or was cancelled,

the term to be specified in any such order, or in any interim order under paragraph 11, made on that application may begin with the relevant date or any later date.

(11) In sub-paragraph (10)(b) “the relevant date” means—

(a)where the maintenance assessment ceased to have effect, the date on which it so ceased; and

(b)where the maintenance assessment was cancelled, the later of—

(i)the date on which the person who cancelled it did so; or

(ii)the date from which the cancellation first had effect.