The law

Margarette Macaulay, attorney-at-law has explained in previous Observer articles how the law works regarding maintenance here.

Said she: For mothers with children living overseas seeking maintenance from Jamaican fathers living here, they can apply for a maintenance order in the court in their state of residence, if it is a reciprocating state. When the order is made, a certified copy of the maintenance order should be sent to the appropriate court here, to be forwarded to the parish where the father resides.

For those with children in Jamaica requesting support from fathers overseas, the application is made, and the order forwarded to the appropriate court if it is in a reciprocating state. If it is not one of them, then the mother will not be able to enforce her orders against him there.

She will always have to get the court here to move against him for his contempt of the court by his breach of the orders, if he sets foot in Jamaica. She will only be able to enforce it against him if he comes to Jamaica while she has the order in hand, presupposing that the application for maintenance was properly served on him and that he had sufficient time to defend the application before the order was made.