Judicial Separation and Family Law Reform Act, 1989

Periodical payments and lump sum orders.

14.—(1) On granting a decree of judicial separation or at any time thereafter the court may, on application to it by either spouse, make any one or more of the following orders—

(a) a periodical payments order, that is to say—

(i) an order that either spouse shall make to the other spouse such periodical payments of such amount and at such times as may be specified in the order; or

(ii) an order that either spouse shall make to such person as may be specified in the order for the benefit of a dependent child of the family such periodical payments of such amount and at such time as may be so specified;

(b) a secured periodical payments order, that is to say—

(i) an order that either spouse shall secure to the other spouse to the satisfaction of the court, such periodical payments as may be so specified; or

(ii) an order that a spouse shall secure to such person as may be so specified for the benefit of such dependent child of the family such periodical payments to the satisfaction of the court as may be so specified;

(c) an order that either spouse shall pay to the other spouse such lump sum or sums of such amount and at such time or times as may be so specified;

(d) an order that a spouse shall pay to such person as may be specified for the benefit of a dependent child of the family such lump sum or sums of such amount and at such time or times as may be so specified.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1) (c) or (d) of this section—

(a) an order under this section that a spouse shall pay a lump sum to the other spouse may be made for the purpose of enabling that other spouse to meet any liabilities or expenses reasonably incurred by him or her, before making an application for an order under this section in his or her favour, in maintaining himself or herself or any dependent child of the family;

(b) an order under this section for the payment of a lump sum for the benefit of a dependent child of the family may be made for the purpose of enabling any liabilities or expenses reasonably incurred by or for the benefit of that child before the making of an application for an order under this section in his favour to be met; and

(c) an order under this section for the payment of a lump sum may provide for the payment of that sum by instalments of such amount as may be specified in the order and may require the payment of the instalments to be secured to the satisfaction of the court.