You are here: Home Page » Services » Child Support
Child support
The Child Support Agency was set up by the government under Margaret Thatcher to make sure errant fathers paid for the support of their children where the mothers were on welfare benefits. But it has been a complete distaste – not just our opinion but that of many Parliamentary enquiries. Uneconomic to run, badly run, heavy handed treatment, unable to distinguish between fathers who were happy to pay anyway and those who would do anything to avoid paying (and treating them all the same), a formula for calculation which could have been simple and workable but came across as unjust and unfair in many cases, and so much more. Crucially the law was changed so all cases of child support, not just welfare benefit, are now included and the courts have very limited opportunities to make child financial provision.
The Agency is to be replaced soon but in the meantime, the Agency is still chasing the non resident parents. We can help if there is an assessment.
The Agency has no powers if a parent or the child is resident abroad. Different court procedures are then used.
Child support orders from abroad are often enforced via the local Family Proceedings Court (aka the family branch of the magistrates court). The Australian Child Support Agency in particular has powers (and funds and organisation, unlike the UK version) to pursue child support abroad, and often does.
Other orders for financial support of children can be made including capital orders for provision of a home for accommodation. This is often when the parents are unmarried.
