Family Law Act, 1995

Secured maintenance orders.

41.—Where, in proceedings under any other Act, the court or the District Court makes or has made an order providing for the payment—

(a) by a spouse to the other spouse of periodical payments for the support or maintenance of that other spouse, or

(b) by a parent to the other parent or to another person specified in the order of periodical payments for the support or maintenance of a child—

(i) of both parents or adopted by both parents under the Adoption Acts, 1952 to 1991, or in relation to whom both parents are in loco parentis, or

(ii) of either parent or adopted by either parent under those Acts or in relation to whom either parent is in loco parentis where the other parent being aware that he or she is not the parent of the child has treated the child as a member of the family,

the court by which the order was made may in those proceedings or subsequently, on application to it by any person having an interest in the proceedings, order the spouse or parent liable to make the payments under the order to secure them to the other spouse or parent or the other person specified in the order to the satisfaction of the court.