Domestic Proceedings and Magistrates' Courts Act 1978

53 Variation and revocation of affiliation orders

After section 6 of the [1957 c. 55.] Affiliation Proceedings Act 1957 there shall be inserted the following section: —

“6A Variation and revocation of orders.

(1) The power of the court under section 53 of the Magistrates' Courts Act 1952 to vary an affiliation order which provides for the making of periodical payments shall include power to vary the order so that it makes provision for the payment of a lump sum (whether or not when the affiliation order was first made, or on an earlier variation, provision was made for the payment of a lump sum).

(2) In exercising its powers under the said section 53 to revoke, vary or revive an affiliation order the court shall have regard to all the circumstances of the case, including any change in any of the matters to which the court was required to have regard when making the order.

(3) An application for the variation or revival of an affiliation order so as to require periodical payments to be made thereunder after the date mentioned in section 6(2)(a) of this Act may be made by the child's mother or by any person who for the time being has the custody of the child either legally or by an arrangement approved by the court, but not including a local authority in whose care the child is under section 1 of the Children Act 1948 or by virtue of a care order (other than an interim order) within the meaning of the Children and Young Persons Act 1969; and, if the child has attained the age of sixteen, an application for the variation or revival of an affiliation order may be made by the child himself.

(4) Where on an application for the variation of an affiliation order the court decides to make provision for the payment of a lump sum, the court may provide for the payment of a sum not exceeding the maximum amount that may at that time be required to be paid under section 4(5) of this Act.

(5) Where in the exercise of its powers under section 63 of the Magistrates' Courts Act 1952 the court orders that a lump sum required to be paid under an affiliation order shall be paid by instalments, the court, on an application made either by the person liable to pay or the person entitled to receive that sum, shall have power to vary that order by varying the number of instalments payable, the amount of any instalment payable and the date on which any instalment becomes payable.”.