Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Related legal acts

Key definition

Maintenance definition

What does Maintenance mean? Maintenance describes financial support paid by one person to a current or former spouse or civil partner, or for the benefit of a child, during separation, divorce/dissolution and afterwards. It is a descriptive term used across family law, with statutory regimes and case law guiding its assessment and enforcement. England & Wales and Northern Ireland: spousal/civil partner maintenance is commonly termed periodical payments, including interim “maintenance pending suit”; child maintenance/child support is primarily via the Child Maintenance Service (with court jurisdiction in limited cases, including Schedule 1 Children Act 1989 and for a “child of the family”). Scotland: support during a...

Maintenance agreements following death: variation procedure and interaction with the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 and Children Act 1989 Schedule 1 (England and Wales)

Published by a LexisNexis Family expert

Practice notes

This Practice Note deals with maintenance agreements where one of the parties to the agreement has died.

For practical guidance on varying a maintenance agreement while the parties are still alive, including applications under Schedule 1 to the Children Act 1989 (ChA 1989), refer to Practice Note: Variation and alteration of maintenance agreements during the lifetime of the parties, during the parties’ lifetime. See also Practice Note: Formalities of maintenance agreements.

Where a maintenance agreement within the meaning of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 (MCA 1973) or the Civil Partnership Act 2004 (CPA 2004) provides for periodical payments to continue after the death of one party, and that party dies domiciled in England and Wales, the surviving party or the deceased party’s personal representatives may issue a variation application to the court. The application must be brought within six months of the grant of representation; otherwise the permission of the court is required. If the court decides it is just to alter the terms of the agreement, the modified provisions will operate as if they had been voluntarily entered into by the parties for valuable consideration...

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Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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