One of the key tasks that parents have when they separate is making effective child maintenance arrangements. This following document contains information about child maintenance including the choices parents have, current legislation, myths and sources of support.

[NB This content has been provided by Child Maintenance Options, the UK Government service that provides information, guidance and support on child maintenance and the ways of making an arrangement]

The Government is currently reforming the child maintenance system. The proposed reforms build on changes brought about under the Child Maintenance and Other Payments Act 2008 which was based on recommendations made by Sir David Henshaw, in his 2006 report Recovering child support: routes to responsibility, which allowed all parents who wished to, and were able, to make their own private arrangements for child maintenance without interference from the Child Support Agency.

The following briefing paper sets out the proposed changes.

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