The Child Support(Northern Ireland) Order 1991

The duty to maintain

5.—(1) For the purposes of this Order, each parent of a qualifying child is responsible for maintaining him.

(2) For the purposes of this Order, an absent parent shall be taken to have met his responsibility to maintain any qualifying child of his by making periodical payments of maintenance with respect to the child of such amount, and at such intervals, as may be determined in accordance with the provisions of this Order.

(3) Where a maintenance assessment made under this Order requires the making of periodical payments, it shall be the duty of the absent parent with respect to whom the assessment was made to make those payments.