Search Legislation

Maintenance Enforcement Act 1991

 Help about what version

What Version

 Help about advanced features

Advanced Features

Changes over time for: Paragraph 19

 Help about opening options

Alternative versions:

Changes to legislation:

There are currently no known outstanding effects for the Maintenance Enforcement Act 1991, Paragraph 19. Help about Changes to Legislation

Close

Changes to Legislation

Revised legislation carried on this site may not be fully up to date. At the current time any known changes or effects made by subsequent legislation have been applied to the text of the legislation you are viewing by the editorial team. Please see ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ for details regarding the timescales for which new effects are identified and recorded on this site.

19(1)In section 34 of that Act (variation and enforcement of orders), at the beginning of subsection (1) (order registered in court other than court which made it variable as if made by registering court) there shall be inserted the words “ Subject to section 34A of this Act ”.E+W

(2)After that section there shall be inserted the following section—

34A Variation of orders by magistrates’ courts in England and Wales.

(1)The provisions of this section shall have effect in relation to a registered order which is registered in a magistrates’ court in England and Wales (whether or not the court made the order) in place of the following enactments, that is to say—

(a)subsections (3) to (11) of section 60 of the M1Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980;

(b)section 20ZA of the M2Domestic Proceedings and Magistrates’ Courts Act 1978; and

(c)paragraph 6A of Schedule 1 to the M3Children Act 1989.

(2)The power of a magistrates’ court in England and Wales to vary a registered order shall include power, if the court is satisfied that payment has not been made in accordance with the order, to exercise one of its powers under subsection (3) below.

(3)The powers of the court are—

(a)the power to order that payments under the order be made directly to the clerk of the court or the clerk of any other magistrates’ court in England and Wales;

(b)the power to order that payments under the order be made to the clerk of the court, or to the clerk of any other magistrates’ court in England and Wales, by such method of payment falling within section 59(6) of the Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980 (standing order, etc.) as may be specified;

(c)the power to make an attachment of earnings order under the M4Attachment of Earnings Act 1971 to secure payments under the order.

(4)In any case where—

(a)a registered order is registered in a magistrates’ court in England and Wales, and

(b)payments under the order are required to be made to the clerk of the court, or to the clerk of any other magistrates’ court in England and Wales, by any method of payment falling within section 59(6) of the Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980 (standing order, etc.),

an interested party may apply in writing to the clerk of the court in which the order is registered for the order to be varied as mentioned in subsection (5) below.

(5)Subject to subsection (8) below, where an application has been made under subsection (4) above, the clerk, after giving written notice (by post or otherwise) of the application to any other interested party and allowing that party, within the period of 14 days beginning with the date of the giving of that notice, an opportunity to make written representations, may vary the order to provide that payments under the order shall be made in accordance with paragraph (a) of subsection (3) above.

(6)The clerk may proceed with an application under subsection (4) above notwithstanding that any such interested party as is referred to in subsection (5) above has not received written notice of the application.

(7)In subsections (4) to (6) above “interested party”, in relation to an order, means the debtor or the creditor.

(8)Where an application has been made under subsection (4) above, the clerk may, if he considers it inappropriate to exercise his power under subsection (5) above, refer the matter to the court which may vary the order by exercising one of its powers under subsection (3) above.

(9)In deciding, for the purposes of subsections (2) and (8) above, which of the powers under subsection (3) above it is to exercise, the court shall have regard to any representations made by the debtor.

(10)Subsection (4) of section 59 of the M5Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980 (power of court to require debtor to open account) shall apply for the purposes of subsection (3) above as it applies for the purposes of that section but as if for paragraph (a) there were substituted—

(a)the court proposes to exercise its power under paragraph (b) of section 34A(3) of the M6Maintenance Orders (Reciprocal Enforcement) Act 1972, and

(11)In this section “creditor” and “debtor” have the same meaning as they have in section 59 of the Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980.

Commencement Information

I1Sch. 1 para. 19 wholly in force at 1.4.1992 see s. 12(2) and S.I. 1992/455, art. 2

Marginal Citations

Back to top

Options/Help

Print Options

Close

Legislation is available in different versions:

Latest Available (revised):The latest available updated version of the legislation incorporating changes made by subsequent legislation and applied by our editorial team. Changes we have not yet applied to the text, can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area.

Original (As Enacted or Made): The original version of the legislation as it stood when it was enacted or made. No changes have been applied to the text.

Close

See additional information alongside the content

Geographical Extent: Indicates the geographical area that this provision applies to. For further information see ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

Show Timeline of Changes: See how this legislation has or could change over time. Turning this feature on will show extra navigation options to go to these specific points in time. Return to the latest available version by using the controls above in the What Version box.

Close

Opening Options

Different options to open legislation in order to view more content on screen at once

Close

More Resources

Access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item from this tab. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:

  • the original print PDF of the as enacted version that was used for the print copy
  • lists of changes made by and/or affecting this legislation item
  • confers power and blanket amendment details
  • all formats of all associated documents
  • correction slips
  • links to related legislation and further information resources
Close

Timeline of Changes

This timeline shows the different points in time where a change occurred. The dates will coincide with the earliest date on which the change (e.g an insertion, a repeal or a substitution) that was applied came into force. The first date in the timeline will usually be the earliest date when the provision came into force. In some cases the first date is 01/02/1991 (or for Northern Ireland legislation 01/01/2006). This date is our basedate. No versions before this date are available. For further information see the Editorial Practice Guide and Glossary under Help.

Close

More Resources

Use this menu to access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:

  • the original print PDF of the as enacted version that was used for the print copy
  • correction slips

Click 'View More' or select 'More Resources' tab for additional information including:

  • lists of changes made by and/or affecting this legislation item
  • confers power and blanket amendment details
  • all formats of all associated documents
  • links to related legislation and further information resources