EU Changes Child Support Rules

Children of divorced parents will benefit from a new measure by the EU that will ensure faster maintenance payments.

London, UK (Pryce Warner International) July 15th, 2011 – A new EU-wide system for the recovery of maintenance payments has been set up to crack down on absent parents avoiding payments.

There are an estimated 16 million international couples in the EU and when one parent moves abroad as part of a divorce it can be difficult to ensure that they keep up their maintenance payments.

The regulations are designed to ensure that children continue to receive financial support from a parent, even when they move to another EU country. There is presently an issue with individuals not being able to recover unpaid child support from parents living abroad, meaning the government sometimes has to fill the gap. Unpaid child support is seen as a vital issue as it can often have severe financial and psychological implications on the child or children involved.

The new rules mean that a decision on financial obligations in one EU country will be enforceable in another one without any special procedure. This will speed up procedures and save parents money.

Divorces that lead to couples moving to separate countries can often be even more strenuous on children than typical divorces, and some parents see this as an opportunity to skirt their responsibilities. The EU also has signed conventions to ensure that parents that leave the EU will not be able to do this either.

The European commission has now made it a priority to ensure that this no longer happens and will continue to monitor the progress of the regulations so as to ensure that no parent is able to deprive their child or children of what they are entitled to.

International divorce law can often be highly complicated and it is especially a tough situation for Expats. Deciding which country to divorce in can greatly affect the settlement procedure in both terms of speed and allocations.

David Retikin, Director of Operations at Pryce Warner International, a financial services provider for Expats, commented: "“The EU is right to ensure that maintenance payments are paid in full regardless of where the parent chooses to move to. In divorce settlements it is always the children that suffer the most and it is vitally important that receive all the support that they can get. It is a great shame that some feel they can simply move abroad and no longer have to support their child and hopefully this legislation will ensure it never happens again.”

Pryce Warner International Group provide International Asset & Investment Management, Independent Financial Advice & QROPS Overseas Pensions.

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By: Aneil Fatania
Financial Editor
Pryce Warner International Group
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