Enforcement of Maintenance Orders and Recovery of Arrears
A maintenance order is not merely a request. If payment is missed, late or incomplete, the person entitled to receive maintenance may apply to the Family Justice Courts, which sets out the enforcement framework for maintenance orders made under the Act.
When can enforcement begin?
An enforcement application may generally be filed once the payer has failed to comply with the order. You do not necessarily have to wait for several months of arrears, although the practical course may depend on the amount, payment history and any genuine attempt to resolve the issue.
What should you prepare?
Keep the existing maintenance order, a clear month-by-month calculation of the amount due and paid, bank statements or transfer records, relevant messages and any information about the payer's employment or explanation for non-payment. Separate current maintenance from arrears and identify any disputed payments.
What happens after filing?
An enforcement application is made under section 80 of the Women's Charter. The court may direct the parties to mediation or conciliation, and under section 84, prescribed or appropriate cases may be referred to a Maintenance Enforcement Officer (MEO). The MEO's functions are set out across several provisions rather than a single section: sections 86 and 87 give the MEO powers to gather relevant financial information, while sections 88 to 90 govern the MEO's conciliation efforts and the preparation of a report to the court. This helps the court understand why default occurred, what the payer can realistically afford, and which order is most likely to secure future compliance.
What orders can the court make?
Depending on the facts, the court's toolkit under Part 9 of the Women's Charter includes:
• deductions from salary through an Attachment of Earnings Order (s 81);
• attaching a debt owed to the payer;
• requiring a banker's guarantee against future defaults;
• directing financial counselling or a community service order;
• making a show-payment order; or
• in appropriate cases, imprisonment for willful breach.
Imprisonment does not erase the arrears. The obligation remains, and the court may separately order how the unpaid sums are to be repaid.
Do not leave old arrears unattended
Maintenance arrears that have accrued for some time can become progressively harder to recover, both because of evidential decay and because the enforcement of old arrears is governed by rules specific to the Women's Charter's maintenance-enforcement framework, rather than by the ordinary limitation principles that apply to a standard civil debt. Whether, and how far back, particular arrears remain enforceable depends on the applicable statutory provisions and the facts of the case and should be confirmed with a lawyer before you decide whether, or how urgently, to file. What is clear is that acting early reduces both the risk that enforcement becomes more difficult and the practical difficulty of proving old, undocumented arrears.
What if the payer cannot afford the order?
The payer cannot simply stop paying. If circumstances have materially changed, the proper step is to apply to rescind or vary the order under section 72 of the Women's Charter. Until the court changes it, the existing order remains binding. A later variation does not automatically remove arrears that have already accrued.
Key takeaway
Keep accurate records and use the formal enforcement process before arrears become unmanageable. Prompt action puts the court in a better position to secure payment and address the reason for default - and avoids the limitation issues that can arise with old, unenforced arrears.