From Lawpack's Separation & Divorce Kit.
A significant number of divorce cases don't clearly 'end' with the decree absolute. Even when a couple have agreed on the level of payments beforehand, a wife may still go back to court afterwards and ask for a higher level of payments, or for payments to continue for a longer time if her or her ex-husband's circumstances change.
Similarly, the husband may attempt to reduce the payments he makes, due to the effects of inflation, retirement, redundancy or a change in his circumstances, such as a significant drop in income or new and special needs that may arise. Any significant increase or decrease in income by either spouse may cause the court to modify the periodical payments order.
If the payer stops the payments, this may be for a valid reason, such as job loss. The husband, however, should never simply stop payments; instead, he should ask the court to vary the maintenance order immediately.
When payments stop without being approved by the court, the wife can register the outstanding periodical payments order at a Magistrates' Court. This compels the husband to pay future maintenance through the court, who will then enforce any missed payments or make an application to enforce payment of the arrears through a divorce County Court. Expert legal advice should be taken as to which application is appropriate since the law in this area can be complex. Alternatively, the Department for Work and Pensions may take up the wife's case and help enforce the collection of any money outstanding.
Do note that even when spouses reach an agreement as to the level of payments, it will still be possible for either parent to apply to the Child Support Agency (CSA) for an assessment of the child support that the non-resident parent will have to pay from then on. If the court includes a condition in the child maintenance order that it will fall down if an application is made to the CSA after the order's a year old, there's nothing the other spouse can do to prevent it.
If the payer stops his payments in Scotland, the resident parent can instruct a Sheriff Officer (usually done through a solicitor) either to take the sum outstanding from the non-paying spouse's wages or salary on a weekly or monthly basis and pay it directly to the dependent spouse, or deduct the payment at source from the non-paying spouse's employers and pay it directly to the dependent spouse. All maintenance orders stop automatically when the receiving party remarries.
Law stated as at 1 September, 2006
