Child Support Laws Around the World

By: Anna Martin - Updated: 24 Feb 2015 | *Discuss

 

It is internationally recognised that parents have a responsibility to raise their children. This includes providing adequate financial support and a nurturing environment. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1992) declares the development and upbringing of a child, or children, is the responsibility of both parents, and this forms part of the fundamental rights of any child.

World Wide View

All of these countries view child maintenance as an obligation of each parent, and acknowledges that a non resident parent must provide maintenance payment to a resident parent (or parent with care) or other legal guardian for the care and support they provide the child or children.

Special Circumstances

In England and Wales a separating couple can formalise their split by entering into a Deed of Separation. This is a contract which states all the terms upon which both individuals agree. If the couple have children the deed can also list any arrangements concerning the children. However, this recognised deed does not replace the need for maintenance payment arrangements.

Understandably child support laws vary considerably around the world. In some countries maintenance arrangements are made directly between the child’s parents, whilst in other countries child support has to be arranged directly by the state.

The increasingly high level of maintenance payments that are demanded, as a result of a partnership breakdown, causes the number of cases of maintenance payment avoidance to steadily grow.

Any person who has experienced an acrimonious divorce may understandly see the additional maintenance payment they are expected to make as an excessive and unjust additional punishment, and may attempt to avoid having to pay this periodic amount.

Additional Privileges And Obligatory Requirements

In the majority of cases providing financial support, in the form of a periodic maintenance payment, is all that is required of the non resident parent. In some countries access or visitation rights are tied to child support, if disputes between the child’s parents causes the parent with care to refuse visits from the non resident parent.

Child support can also be requested from a parent with sole custody of children by the non custodial parent, to provide support when the children are in their care. Whatever the circumstances of a separation or divorce are child support maintenance payments are legally obligatory.

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