Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010

Maintenance order.

45.— (1) Subject to subsection (3), where it appears to the court, on application to it by a civil partner, that the other civil partner has failed to provide maintenance for the applicant that is proper in the circumstances, the court may make an order that the other civil partner make to the applicant periodical payments for the support of the applicant, for the period during the lifetime of the applicant, of the amount and at the times that the court may consider proper.

(2) The court shall not make a maintenance order for the support of an applicant where he or she has deserted and continues to desert the other civil partner unless, having regard to all the circumstances, including the conduct of the other civil partner, the court is of the opinion that it would be unjust in all the circumstances not to make a maintenance order.

(3) The court, in deciding whether to make a maintenance order and, if it decides to do so, in determining the amount of any payment, shall have regard to all the circumstances of the case including—

(a) the income, earning capacity, property and other financial resources of the civil partners, including income or benefits to which either civil partner is entitled by or under statute,

(b) the financial and other responsibilities of—

(i) the civil partners towards each other,

(ii) each civil partner as a parent towards any dependent children, and the needs of any dependent children, including the need for care and attention, and

(iii) each civil partner towards any former spouse or civil partner,

and

(c) the conduct of each of the civil partners, if that conduct is such that, in the opinion of the court, it would in all the circumstances be unjust to disregard it.