The Child Support(Northern Ireland) Order 1991

Meaning of “child”

3.—(1) For the purposes of this Order a person is a child if—

(a) he is under the age of 16;

(b) he is under the age of 19 and receiving full-time education (which is not advanced education)—

(i) by attendance at a recognised educational establishment; or

(ii) elsewhere, if the education is recognised by the Department; or

(c) he does not fall within sub-paragraph (a)or (b) but—

(i) he is under the age of 18, and

(ii) prescribed conditions are satisfied with respect to him.

(2) A person is not a child for the purposes of this Order if he—

(a) is or has been married;

(b) has celebrated a marriage which is void; or

(c) has celebrated a marriage in respect of which a decree of nullity has been granted.

(3) In this Article—

“advanced education” means education of a prescribed description;

and “recognised educational establishment” means an establishment recognised by the Department for the purposes of this Article as being, or as comparable to, a university, college or school.

(4) Where a person has reached the age of 16, the Department may recognise education provided for him otherwise than at a recognised educational establishment only if the Department is satisfied that education was being so provided for him immediately before he reached the age of 16.

(5) The Department may provide that in prescribed circumstances education is or is not to be treated for the purposes of this Article as being full-time.

(6) In determining whether a person falls within paragraph (1)(b), no account shall be taken of such interruptions in his education as may be prescribed.

(7) The Department may by regulations provide that a person who ceases to fall within paragraph (1) shall be treated as continuing to fall within that paragraph for a prescribed period.

(8) No person shall be treated as continuing to fall within paragraph (1) by virtue of regulations made under paragraph (7) after the end of the week in which he reaches the age of 19.