UK parent with care: How do I collect child maintenance from a Jamaican resident?

[mcked]

I would like your advice on my situation.

My husband returned to Jamaica early in 2005 voluntarily (from the UK), due to immigration reasons and our subsequent application for him to return to the UK later that year was denied. We have a child who is now 6 years old and our marriage has gradually deteriorated. It is almost 1year since I received any financial support from him and we do not have a written maintenance agreement. My husband is self employed, but keeps on saying that business is slow and he can't get any work. His line of business is providing heavy duty equipment to companies building hotels in JA.

The Child Suppport Agency in the UK are not in a position to collect maintenance if the non-resident parent lives abroad and does not work for a UK-based employer, the civil service or the armed forces.

Please can you advise on how I would be able to legally collect child maintenance for our child, as I honestly don't believe that he is not in employment.

Many thanks

If you are still married to him, no court will order maintenance. You will have to get divorced in order to get an order of child support. Are you not working? Children require financial support from both parents, not just one. Adults are expected to support themselves, not other adults.

[mcked]

Yes we are still married and I also work, I just don't know what to do to get financial support as my son greatly needs it to help pay for school fees and afterschool provisions etc.

And you were just told what you need to do. You would have to divorce in order to get child support.