Domestic Proceedings and Magistrates' Courts Act 1978

66 Revocation and variation of orders for periodical payments

(1) Section 35 of the [1975 c. 72.] Children Act 1975 (which relates to the revocation and variation of orders) shall have effect subject to the provisions of this section.

(2) In subsection (3) of the said section 35 after the words " section 34 " there shall be inserted the words " (other than an order under subsection (1)(c)) ".

(3) In subsection (4) of the said section 35 for the words " such an order " there shall be substituted the words " an order made under that section (other than an order under subsection (1)(c)) ".

(4) After subsection (4) of the said section 35 there shall be inserted the following subsection—

“(4A) An application for the variation of an order made under section 34(1)(b) may, if the child has attained the age of sixteen, be made by the child himself”.

(5) In subsection (5) of the said section 35 for the words " section 34" there shall be substituted the words " section 34(1)(a), (b) or (e) ".

(6) In subsection (6) of the said section 35 for the words " section 34" there shall be substituted the words " section 34(1)(a) ".

(7) At the end of the said section 35 there shall be added the following subsections—

“(7) On an application under this section for the revocation or variation of an order made under section 34(1)(b), the court shall have power to suspend the operation of any provision of that order temporarily and to revive the operation of any provision so suspended.

(8) In exercising its power under this section to revoke or vary an order made under section 34(1)(b), 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.

(9) Where on an application under this section the court varies any payments required to be made under section 34(1)(b), the court may provide that the payments as so varied shall be made from such date as the court may specify, not being earlier than the date of the making of the application.

(10) Where an order made under section 34(1)(b) ceases to have effect on the date on which the child attains the age of sixteen or at any time after that date but before or on the date on which he attains the age of eighteen, then, if at any time before he attains the age of twenty-one an application is made by the child to an authorised court for an order under this subsection, the court shall have power by order to revive the first mentioned order from such date as the court may specify, not being earlier than the date of the making of the application, and to vary or revoke under this section any order so revived.

(11) The powers of a magistrates' court to revoke revive or vary under section 53 of the Magistrates' Courts Act 1952 an order for the periodical payment of money and to suspend or rescind under section 54(2) of that Act certain other orders shall not apply in relation to a custodianship order or an order made under section 34.”.