Child Maintenance Act (Northern Ireland) 2008

Shared care

6.  In paragraph 7(2) (circumstances in which decrease for shared care applies in cases where child support maintenance is payable at the basic rate or a reduced rate), for “If the care of a qualifying child is shared” substitute “If the care of a qualifying child is, or is to be, shared”.

7.  In paragraph 8(2) (circumstances in which decrease for shared care applies in cases where child support maintenance payable at a flat rate), for “If the care of a qualifying child is shared” substitute “If the care of a qualifying child is, or is to be, shared”.

8.—(1) In paragraph 9 (regulations about shared care), the existing provision becomes sub-paragraph (1).

(2) In that sub-paragraph, before paragraph (a) insert—

“(za) for how it is to be determined whether the care of a qualifying child is to be shared as mentioned in paragraph 7(2);”.

(3) In that sub-paragraph, after paragraph (b) insert—

“(ba) for how it is to be determined how many nights count for those purposes;”.

(4) After that sub-paragraph add—

“(2) Regulations under sub-paragraph (1)(ba) may include provision enabling the Department to proceed for a prescribed period on the basis of a prescribed assumption.”.