The Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995

7.—(1) In exercising its powers under paragraph 2 or 3 to vary or discharge an order for the making or securing of periodical payments the court shall have regard to all the circumstances, including any change in any of the matters to which the court was required to have regard when making the order.

(2) The power of the court under paragraph 2 or 3 to vary an order for the making or securing of periodical payments shall include power to suspend any provision of the order temporarily and to revive any provision so suspended.

(3) Where on an application under paragraph 2 or 3 for the variation or discharge of an order for the making or securing of periodical payments the court varies the payments required to be made under that order, the court may provide that the payments as so varied shall be made from such date as the court may specify, except that, subject to sub-paragraph (11), the date shall not be earlier than the date of the making of the application.

(4) An application for the variation of an order made under paragraph 2 for the making or securing of periodical payments to or for the benefit of a child may, if the child has reached the age of 16, be made by the child himself.

(5) Where an order for the making or securing of periodical payments made under paragraph 2 ceases to have effect on the date on which the child reaches the age of 16, or at any time after that date but before or on the date on which he reaches the age of 18, the child may apply to the court which made the order for an order for its revival.

(6) If on such an application it appears to the court that—

(a) the child is, will be or (if an order were made under this sub-paragraph) 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 under this sub-paragraph,

the court shall have power by order to revive the order from such date as the court may specify, not being earlier than the date of the making of the application.

(7) Any order which is revived by an order under sub-paragraph (6) may be varied or discharged under that sub-paragraph on the application of any person by whom or to whom payments are required to be made under the revived order.

(8) An order for the making or securing of periodical payments made under paragraph 2 may be varied or discharged, after the death of either parent, on the application of a guardian of the child concerned.

(9) An order for the making or securing of periodical payments made under paragraph 2 which is revived under sub-paragraph (6) in favour of a child to whom head (a) of that sub-paragraph applies shall cease to have effect in the event of his ceasing to receive instruction or undergo training as mentioned in that head.

(10) Where an order for the making or securing of periodical payments made under paragraph 2 ceases to have effect by virtue of sub-paragraph (9), the person to whom the periodical payments are directed by the order to be made shall give notice of the event mentioned in that sub-paragraph 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.

(11) Sub-paragraph (12) applies where—

(a) an order under paragraph 2(2)(a) or (b) for the making or securing of periodical payments in favour of more than one child (“the order”) is in force;

(b) the order requires payments specified in it to be made to or for the benefit of more than one child without apportioning those payments between them;

(c) a maintenance assessment (“the assessment”) is made with respect to one or more, but not all, of the children in whose favour those payments are to be made; and

(d) an application is made, before the end of the period of six months beginning with the date on which the assessment was made, for the variation or discharge of the order.

(12) Where this sub-paragraph applies, the court may, in exercise of its powers under paragraph 2 to vary or discharge the order, direct that the variation or discharge shall take effect from the date on which the assessment took effect or any later date.