Part II Financial Relief for Parties to Marriage and Children of Family
Additional provisions with respect to financial provision and property adjustment orders
C129 Duration of continuing financial provision orders in favour of children, and age limit on making certain orders in their favour.
1
Subject to subsection (3) below, no financial provision order and no order for a transfer of property under section 24(1)(a) above shall be made in favour of a child who has attained the age of eighteen.
2
The term to be specified in a periodical payments or secured periodical payments order 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 F1or a date ascertained in accordance with subsection (5) or (6) below but—
a
shall not in the first instance extend beyond the date of the birthday of the child next following his attaining the upper limit of the compulsory school age F2(construed in accordance with section 8 of the Education Act 1996)F3unless the court considers that in the circumstances of the case the welfare of the child requires that it should extend to a later date; and
b
shall not in any event, subject to subsection (3) below, extend beyond the date of the child’s eighteenth birthday.
3
Subsection (1) above, and paragraph (b) of subsection (2), 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 either or both of those provisions would be, receiving instruction at an educational establishment or undergoing training for a trade, profession or vocation, whether or not he is also, or will also be, in gainful employment; or
b
there are special circumstances which justify the making of an order without complying with either or both of those provisions.
4
Any periodical payments order in favour of a child shall, notwithstanding anything in the order, cease to have effect on the death of the person liable to make payments under the order, except in relation to any arrears due under the order on the date of the death.
F45
Where—
b
an application is made under Part II of this Act for a periodical payments or secured periodical payments order in favour of that child—
i
in accordance with section 8 of the Child Support Act 1991, and
ii
before the end of the period of 6 months beginning with the making of the F6current calculation
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.
6
For the purposes of subsection (5) above, “the earliest permitted date” is whichever is the later of—
a
the date 6 months before the application is made; or
7
Where—
a
b
an application is made, before the end of the period of 6 months beginning with the relevant date, for a periodical payments or secured periodical payments order in favour of a child with respect to whom that F5maintenance calculation was in force immediately before it ceased to have effect F8or was cancelled,
8
In subsection (7)(b) above—
a
b
F9where the maintenance assessment was cancelled, the relevant date is the later of—
i
the date on which the person who cancelled it did so, and
ii
the date from which the cancellation first had effect.