Maintenance Orders (Reciprocal Enforcement) Act 1972

6 Registration in United Kingdom court of maintenance order made in reciprocating country.U.K.

(1)This section applies to a maintenance order made, whether before or after the commencement of this Part of this Act, by a court in a reciprocating country, including such an order made by such a court which has been confirmed by a court in another reciprocating country but excluding a provisional order which has not been confirmed.

(2)Where a certified copy of an order to which this section applies is received by the Secretary of State from the responsible authority in a reciprocating country, and it appears to the Secretary of State that the payer under the order is residing [F1or has assets] in the United Kingdom, he shall send the copy of the order to the prescribed officer of the appropriate court.

(3)Where the prescribed officer of the appropriate court receives from the Secretary of State a certified copy of an order to which this section applies, he shall, subject to subsection (4) below, register the order in the prescribed manner in that court.

(4)Before registering an order under this section an officer of a court shall take such steps as he thinks fit for the purpose of ascertaining whether the payer under the order is residing [F2or has assets] within the jurisdiction of the court, and if after taking those steps he is satisfied that the payer is not [F3residing and has no assets within the jurisdiction of the court] he shall return the certified copy of the order to the Secretary of State with a statement giving such information as he possesses as to the whereabouts of the payer [F4and the nature and location of his assets].

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