Maintenance Orders Act 1958

4 Variation of orders registered in magistrates’ courts. E+W

(1) The provisions of this section shall have effect with respect to the variation of [F1 High Court orders registered in the family court], and references in this section to registered orders shall be construed accordingly.

(2) Subject to the following provisions of this section—

(a) the [F2 family court] may exercise the same jurisdiction to vary any rate of payments specified by a registered order (other than jurisdiction in a case where a party to the order is not present in England when the application for variation is made) as is exercisable, apart from this subsection, by the [F3 High Court]; and

(b) a rate of payments specified by a registered order shall not be varied except by the [F4 family court.]

F5 (2A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F5 (2B) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F5 (2C) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F6

(4) If F7 ... an application is made by virtue of subsection (2) of this section for the variation of a rate of payments specified by a registered order [F8 and it appears to the family court] that it is for any reason appropriate to remit the application to the [F9 High Court], the [F10 family court] shall so remit the application, and the [F9 High Court] shall thereupon deal with the application as if the order were not registered.

(5) Nothing in subsection (2) of this section shall affect the jurisdiction of the [F11 High Court] to vary a rate of payments specified by a registered order if an application for the variation of that rate is made to that court—

(a) in proceedings for a variation of provisions of the order which do not specify a rate of payments; or

(b) at a time when a party to the order is not present in England.

F12 (5A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F12 (5B) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(6) No application for any variation of a registered order shall be made to any court while proceedings for any variation of the order are pending in any other court.

(6A) [F13 Although such an order as is mentioned in this subsection may be varied under section 1 of the Maintenance Enforcement Act 1991 as applied by section 4A(2) of this Act, no application for any other] variation in respect of a registered order shall be made to [F14 the family court] in respect of an order made by the Court of Session or the High Court in Northern Ireland and registered in [F15 the family court] in accordance with the provisions of this Part of this Act by virtue of [F16 sections 1(2) and 2(6A)] above.

[F17 (6B) No application for any variation of a registered order shall be made to [F18 the family court] in respect of an order for periodical or other payments made under Part III of the Matrimonial and Family Proceedings Act 1984 [F19 or under Schedule 7 to the Civil Partnership Act 2004].]

F20 (7) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in s. 4(1) substituted (22.4.2014) by Crime and Courts Act 2013 (c. 22), s. 61(3), Sch. 10 para. 8(2); S.I. 2014/954, art. 2(d) (with art. 3) (with transitional provisions and savings in S.I. 2014/956, arts. 3-11)

F2 Words in s. 4(2)(a) substituted (22.4.2014) by Crime and Courts Act 2013 (c. 22), s. 61(3), Sch. 10 para. 8(3)(a); S.I. 2014/954, art. 2(d) (with art. 3) (with transitional provisions and savings in S.I. 2014/956, arts. 3-11)

F3 Words in s. 4(2)(a) substituted (22.4.2014) by Crime and Courts Act 2013 (c. 22), s. 61(3), Sch. 10 para. 8(3)(b); S.I. 2014/954, art. 2(d) (with art. 3) (with transitional provisions and savings in S.I. 2014/956, arts. 3-11)

F4 Words in s. 4(2)(b) substituted (22.4.2014) by Crime and Courts Act 2013 (c. 22), s. 61(3), Sch. 10 para. 8(4); S.I. 2014/954, art. 2(d) (with art. 3) (with transitional provisions and savings in S.I. 2014/956, arts. 3-11)

F5 S. 4(2A)-(2C) omitted (22.4.2014) by virtue of Crime and Courts Act 2013 (c. 22), s. 61(3), Sch. 10 para. 8(5); S.I. 2014/954, art. 2(d) (with art. 3) (with transitional provisions and savings in S.I. 2014/956, arts. 3-11)

F6 S. 4(3) repealed by Administration of Justice Act 1970 (c. 31), s. 48(2), Sch. 11

F7 Words in s. 4(4) omitted (22.4.2014) by virtue of Crime and Courts Act 2013 (c. 22), s. 61(3), Sch. 10 para. 8(6)(a); S.I. 2014/954, art. 2(d) (with art. 3) (with transitional provisions and savings in S.I. 2014/956, arts. 3-11)

F8 Words in s. 4(4) inserted (22.4.2014) by Crime and Courts Act 2013 (c. 22), s. 61(3), Sch. 10 para. 8(6)(b); S.I. 2014/954, art. 2(d) (with art. 3) (with transitional provisions and savings in S.I. 2014/956, arts. 3-11)

F9 Words in s. 4(4) substituted (22.4.2014) by Crime and Courts Act 2013 (c. 22), s. 61(3), Sch. 10 para. 8(6)(c); S.I. 2014/954, art. 2(d) (with art. 3) (with transitional provisions and savings in S.I. 2014/956, arts. 3-11)

F10 Words in s. 4(4) substituted (22.4.2014) by Crime and Courts Act 2013 (c. 22), s. 61(3), Sch. 10 para. 8(6)(d); S.I. 2014/954, art. 2(d) (with art. 3) (with transitional provisions and savings in S.I. 2014/956, arts. 3-11)

F11 Words in s. 4(5) substituted (22.4.2014) by Crime and Courts Act 2013 (c. 22), s. 61(3), Sch. 10 para. 8(7); S.I. 2014/954, art. 2(d) (with art. 3) (with transitional provisions and savings in S.I. 2014/956, arts. 3-11)

F12 S. 4(5A)(5B) omitted (22.4.2014) by virtue of Crime and Courts Act 2013 (c. 22), s. 61(3), Sch. 10 para. 8(5); S.I. 2014/954, art. 2(d) (with art. 3) (with transitional provisions and savings in S.I. 2014/956, arts. 3-11)

F13 Words in s. 4(6A) substituted (22.4.2014) by Crime and Courts Act 2013 (c. 22), s. 61(3), Sch. 10 para. 8(8)(a); S.I. 2014/954, art. 2(d) (with art. 3) (with transitional provisions and savings in S.I. 2014/956, arts. 3-11)

F14 Words in s. 4(6A) substituted (22.4.2014) by Crime and Courts Act 2013 (c. 22), s. 61(3), Sch. 10 para. 8(8)(b); S.I. 2014/954, art. 2(d) (with art. 3) (with transitional provisions and savings in S.I. 2014/956, arts. 3-11)

F15 Words in s. 4(6A) substituted (22.4.2014) by Crime and Courts Act 2013 (c. 22), s. 61(3), Sch. 10 para. 8(8)(c); S.I. 2014/954, art. 2(d) (with art. 3) (with transitional provisions and savings in S.I. 2014/956, arts. 3-11)

F16 Words in s. 4(6A) substituted (22.4.2014) by Crime and Courts Act 2013 (c. 22), s. 61(3), Sch. 10 para. 8(8)(d); S.I. 2014/954, art. 2(d) (with art. 3) (with transitional provisions and savings in S.I. 2014/956, arts. 3-11)

F17 S. 4(6B) inserted by Matrimonial and Family Proceedings Act 1984 (c. 42, SIF 49:3), ss. 46(1), 48, Sch. 1 para. 5

F18 Words in s. 4(6B) substituted (22.4.2014) by Crime and Courts Act 2013 (c. 22), s. 61(3), Sch. 10 para. 8(9); S.I. 2014/954, art. 2(d) (with art. 3) (with transitional provisions and savings in S.I. 2014/956, arts. 3-11)

F19 Words in s. 4(6B) inserted (5.12.2005) by Civil Partnership Act 2004 (c. 33), s. 263(10)(b), Sch. 27 para. 22(3); S.I. 2005/3175, art. 2(2)

F20 S. 4(7) omitted (22.4.2014) by virtue of Crime and Courts Act 2013 (c. 22), s. 61(3), Sch. 10 para. 8(5); S.I. 2014/954, art. 2(d) (with art. 3) (with transitional provisions and savings in S.I. 2014/956, arts. 3-11)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 Pt. I (ss. 1–5) applied by Administration of Justice Act 1977 (c. 38, SIF 37), s. 3, sch. 3 para. 10