S.I. No. 221/2025 - District Court (Maintenance) Rules 2025 (2025_si_221) | IE

ISB SI

Reg. 1 S.I. No. 221/2025 - District Court (Maintenance) Rules 2025 Open official source

1. Applicant and Respondent are Unmarried Parents

Select all relevant orders you wish to apply for below.

Maintenance for dependent children

Section 5A (1) of the 1976 Act

Lump sum order in respect of birth expenses for a child

Section 21A of the 1976 Act

Lump sum order in respect of funeral expenses for a child

Section 21A of the 1976 Act

ISB SI

Reg. 2 S.I. No. 221/2025 - District Court (Maintenance) Rules 2025 Open official source

2. Applicant and Respondent are Married

Select all relevant orders you wish to apply for below.

Maintenance for the applicant

Section 5 (1) (a) of the 1976 Act

Maintenance for dependent children

Section 5 (1) (a) of the 1976 Act

Lump sum order in respect of birth expenses for a child

Section 21A of the 1976 Act

Lump sum order in respect of funeral expenses for a child

Section 21A of the 1976 Act

ISB SI

Reg. 3 S.I. No. 221/2025 - District Court (Maintenance) Rules 2025 Open official source

3. Applicant and Respondent are Cohabitants

Select all relevant orders you wish to apply for below.

Maintenance for the applicant as a qualified cohabitant

Section 175 of the 2010 Act

Maintenance for a dependent child under the age of 18 as a cohabitant who is a parent of the child, or acting in the place of a parent, from the other cohabitant who is not a parent but is a guardian of the child

Section 5B of the 1976 Act

ISB SI

Reg. 4 S.I. No. 221/2025 - District Court (Maintenance) Rules 2025 Open official source

4. Applicant and Respondent are Civil Partners

Select all relevant orders you wish to apply for below.

Maintenance for the applicant

Section 45 (1) (a) of the 2010 Act

Maintenance for dependent children

Section 45 (1) (a) of the 2010 Act

Lump sum order in respect of birth expenses for a child

Section 67A of the 2010 Act

Lump sum order in respect of funeral expenses for a child

Section 67A of the 2010 Act

ISB SI

Reg. 5 S.I. No. 221/2025 - District Court (Maintenance) Rules 2025 Open official source

5. Other (where subsections 1 to 4 don’t apply)

What are you applying for a maintenance order under?

The

Family Law (Maintenance of Spouses and Children) Act 1976

The

Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010

What section of the act are you applying under?

Section: .......................................................

Please provide more details about the application you wish to make

_____________________________________________________________

Section C – Dependent Child Details (if applicable)

Child Details (Leave blank if not applicable)

First name: ............................................................

Last Name: ............................................................

Applicant Relationship to Child: ..................................................................

Respondent Relationship to Child: ......................................................

Date of Birth: ....................................

If this child is over 18 years old, please select the relevant option below that applies

The dependent child is under 23 years old and is in full time education, or would be in full time education if maintenance were being paid

The dependent child has a mental or physical disability to such an extent that it is not reasonably possible for them to maintain themselves fully

Section D – Other Application Details

Have other family law applications previously been made to this court or any other court about this child or relationship?

Yes

No

I Don’t Know

If yes, please provide the following information

Case Number (if known): ...................................................

□ What were the previous applications in relation to?

□ In which town or city were the applications made?

□ When were the applications made?

_____________________________________________________________

Signature

Signed by

Applicant

Applicant’s Legal Practitioner

Signature

..............................................................................................

Date (DD/MM/YYYY)

.........................................................

No. 54.2

Schedule C, O.54, r.4(1)

Maintenance Summons

Family Law (Maintenance of Spouse and Children) Act 1976, as amended.

Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010, as amended.

District Court

You are hereby required to attend a sitting of the District Court in relation to a Maintenance application. This application will be heard by a judge of the District Court at the place and time specified below. You should read all pages of this summons and the attached application form carefully.

Case Number: .............................................................

District Court Area:........................................................

District No.: ......

Party Details

Applicant name: .............................................................

Applicant address: ...............................................................

Applicant solicitor details.........................................................

*Dependent 1: ...........................................................................

*Dependent ..............................................................................

Respondent Name: ........................................................................

Respondent Address: ......................................................................

Hearing Details

This application will be heard by a judge at: .........................................

on: ............................... at :.............................

Both the applicant and respondent, or their legal representative, must attend this court hearing at the time and date specified above. If you, or a legal representative on your behalf, fail to attend this hearing, an order may be made in your absence.

Application Details

The applicant has made an application for the following Orders

...............................................................

Signature

District Court Clerk/Judge of the District Court

.........................................................

Date: ............................................................

No. 54.9

Schedule C, O.54, r.5(1)

Application to Vary or Discharge a Maintenance Order

Family Law (Maintenance of Spouses and Children) Act 1976, as amended.

Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010, as amended.

District Court

Office Completion Only

Case Number

District Court Area

District No.

Section A – Party Details

Applicant Details

First name: .............................................................

Last name: ...............................................................

Date of birth: ..................

Address ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Email Address (Optional): ................................................

Contact Number (Optional): .............................................

Applicant Solicitor Details

(Leave blank if not applicable)

..............................................................

Respondent Details

First name: .............................................................

Last name: ...............................................................

Address

..............................................................

Section B – Maintenance Application Details

ISB SI

Reg. 6 S.I. No. 221/2025 - District Court (Maintenance) Rules 2025 Open official source

6. Application to vary a maintenance order

Select the relevant order you wish to apply for below

Application to vary a maintenance order

Section 6 of the 1976 Act

Application to vary a maintenance order (civil partnerships and cohabitants)

Section 46 and 173 of the 2010 Act

Application to vary an attachment of earnings order

Section 17(1) of the 1976 Act

Application to vary an attachment of earnings order (civil partnerships and cohabitants)

Section 183 of the 2010 Act

Provide details of how and why you want the maintenance order to be varied

_____________________________________________________________

ISB SI

Reg. 7 S.I. No. 221/2025 - District Court (Maintenance) Rules 2025 Open official source

7. Application to discharge a maintenance order

Select the relevant order you wish to apply for below

Application to discharge a maintenance order

Section 6 of the 1976 Act

Application to discharge a maintenance order (civil partnerships and cohabitants)

Section 46 and 173 of the 2010 Act

Application to discharge an attachment of earnings order

Section 17(1) of the 1976 Act

Application to discharge an attachment of earnings order (civil partnerships and cohabitants)

Section 183 of the 2010 Act

Provide details of why you want the order, or part of the order, to be discharged

_____________________________________________________________

Section C – Details of Current Maintenance Order

Case Number: .......................................

Please specify which jurisdiction the order was made in

District Court

Circuit Court

Please specify where the order was made

Court Venue: .............................................

Date the Court Order was made (DD/MM/YYYY): ..............................................

Name of Party Ordered to Pay Maintenance

First Name: ....................

Last Name: ....................

Name of Party to Receive Maintenance

First Name: ....................

Last Name: ....................

Maintenance Payment Details

Amount of Maintenance ordered € ....................................................

Frequency of maintenance payments

Weekly

Fortnightly

Monthly

Yearly

Other

If other please specify: ................................................................

Signature

Signed by

Applicant

Applicant’s Legal Practitioner

Signature

..............................................................................................

Date (DD/MM/YYYY)

.........................................................

No. 54.16

O.54, r.8

Family Law (Maintenance of Spouses and Children) Act 1976, section 9(1)(b)

Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010, section 50(1)(b)

Notice of application to have payments made to District Court Clerk

District Court Area of

District No.

....................................................................... Maintenance Creditor

............................................................................................ Maintenance Debtor

TAKE NOTICE that the above-named maintenance creditor *(residing) *(carrying on profession, business, or occupation) at .................................... *(and in court area and district aforesaid) will apply at the sitting of the District Court at ........................... on the ..... day of ...................... 20....., at ... m. for a DIRECTION pursuant to

*section 9(1)(b) of the above Act of 1976

*section 50(1)(b) of the above Act of 2010

that payments under a *maintenance/*variation/*interim order made by the District Court at .................... on the ..... day of ................... 20......, shall be made to the District Court Clerk.

Dated this ... day of ................... 20.......

Signed ................

Maintenance Creditor

*(Solicitor for Maintenance Creditor)

To the District Court Clerk

at

*

Delete words inapplicable

No. 54.19

O.54, r.10

Family Law (Maintenance of Spouses and Children) Act 1976, section 9(3)

Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010, section 50(3)

Summons to discharge direction that payments under *maintenance/*variation/*interim order be made to the District Court Clerk

District Court Area of

District No.

....................................................................... Maintenance Creditor

............................................................................................ Maintenance Debtor

YOU ARE HEREBY REQUIRED to appear at the sitting of the District Court for court area and district aforesaid to be held at ......................... on the ..... day of ..................... 20....., at ...... a.m./p.m. upon the hearing of an application on behalf of the above named maintenance debtor, *(residing) *(carrying on profession, business, or occupation) at ........................... *(in court area and district aforesaid) that the direction given under

*section 9 of the above Act of 1976

*section 50 of the above Act of 2010

whereby payments under a *maintenance/*variation/*interim order made at the sitting of the District Court at ........................... on the ..... day of ....................... 20....., are required to be made to the District Court Clerk at ..........................,

BE DISCHARGED.

Dated this ..... day of .................... 20......

Signed .........................

Judge of the District Court/District Court Clerk assigned to the said District Court area

To

of

the above-named maintenance creditor

*

Delete words inapplicable

Schedule C, O.54, r.14.

No. 54.22

Family Law (Maintenance of Spouses and Children) Act 1976

*Family Law Act 1995, section 41

*Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010, section 52, section 175(1)(b)

Application to secure maintenance payments

District Court Area of

*District No.

In the matter of

.......................................... Maintenance Creditor

...................................................... Maintenance Debtor

And in the matter of an application by ....................................... Applicant

WHEREAS by order of the Court dated the ..... day of ....................... 20......, the above-named maintenance debtor, *(residing) *(carrying on profession, business or occupation) at ...................................... *(in the court *area and district aforesaid) was ordered to pay to the above-named maintenance creditor, *(residing) *(carrying on profession, business or occupation) at .......................... *(in the court *area and district aforesaid) the sums set out therein,

TAKE NOTICE that application will be made by the applicant above named who is *the maintenance creditor *a person having an interest in the proceedings

to the sitting of the District Court on the .... day of ................, 20....., for an order securing the payments as aforesaid to the maintenance creditor to the satisfaction of the Court.

Dated this ..... day of .............................. 20.......

Signed ..........................

Judge of the District Court/District Court Clerk assigned to the said District Court area

*

Delete words inapplicable

Schedule C, O.54, r.15.

No. 54.28

*Family Law (Divorce) Act 1996, section 25

*Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010, section 133

Application for a stay on the operation of an order under

*section 11(2) (b) of the

Guardianship of Infants Act 1964

*section *5, *5a, *7 of the

Family Law (Maintenance of Spouses and Children) Act 1976

*section *45 *47 of the

Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010

District Court Area of

District No.

............................................................. Applicant

........................................................... Respondent

TAKE NOTICE that the *applicant *respondent will apply at the sitting of the District Court at ........................ on the ..... day of ................... 20......, for a stay on the operation of the order made under section ....... of the ............... Act, 20...... on the ..... day of ....................... 20......, under the terms of

*

section 25

of the

Family Law (Divorce) Act, 1996

*

section 133

of the

Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010

.

Dated this ..... day of .............................., 20......

Signed ...................

*Solicitor for *Applicant *Respondent

To .....................

of .......................

* Applicant

* Respondent.

*

Delete words inapplicable.

No. 57.3

Schedule C, O.57, r.6.

Application to Recover Arrears of Maintenance

Family Law (Maintenance of Spouses and Children) Act 1976, Section 9A.

Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010, Section 52A.

District Court

Office Completion Only

Case Number

District Court Area

District No.

Section A – Party Details

Applicant Details

First name: ................................................................

Last name: ...............................................................

Date of birth: ..................

Address: ...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Email Address (Optional): ................................................

Contact Number (Optional): .............................................

Applicant Solicitor Details

(Leave blank if not applicable)

..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Respondent Details

First name: .............................................................

Last name: ...............................................................

Address ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Section B – Details of Current Maintenance Order

Case Number: .............................................................

Please specify which jurisdiction the order was made in

District Court

Circuit Court on appeal from the District Court

Please specify where the order was made

Court Venue: .............................................

Date the Court Order was made (DD/MM/YYYY): ..............................................

Name of Party Ordered to Pay Maintenance

First Name: ...................

Last Name: ...................

Name of Party to Receive Maintenance

First Name: .....................

Last Name: .....................

Maintenance Payment Details

Amount of Maintenance ordered € ....................................................

Frequency of maintenance payments

Weekly

Fortnightly

Monthly

Yearly

Other

If other please specify................................................................

Date first maintenance payment was due (DD/MM/YYYY): ......................

Section C – Details of Arrears of Maintenance

Date Due (DD/MM/YYYY)

Amount Due

Amount Paid

Amount not paid

(Amount due minus amount paid)

€

Other arrears or expenses (such as medical, educational or dental)

Please provide details below

€

Total Claim

(Total Maintenance Arrears plus other arrears or expenses): €............

Signature

Signed by

Applicant

Applicant’s Legal Practitioner

Signature

..............................................................................................

Date (DD/MM/YYYY)

.........................................................

No. 57.3A

Schedule C, O.57, r.7.

Summons to Recover Maintenance Arrears

Family Law (Maintenance of Spouse and Children) Act 1976, as amended.

Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010, as amended.

District Court

You are hereby required to attend a sitting of the District Court in relation to the recovery of maintenance arrears. This application will be heard by a judge of the District Court at the place and time specified below. You should read all pages of this summons and the attached application form carefully.

Case Number: .............................................................

District Court Area: .......................................................

District No:.....

Party Details

Applicant name: .............................................................

Applicant address: ...............................................................

Applicant Solicitor Details.........................

Respondent Name: ........................................................................

Respondent Address: ......................................................................

Hearing Details

This application will be heard by a judge at: ........................................

on: ............................... at: ............................

Both the applicant and respondent, or their legal representative, must attend this court hearing at the time and date specified above.

If you, or a legal representative on your behalf, fail to attend this hearing, an order may be made in your absence, or a warrant for your arrest may be issued. Failure to make a payment in accordance with a maintenance order is a contempt of court and could result in the making of an order for imprisonment.

Signature

District Court Clerk/Judge of the District Court: ....................................

Date: ............................................................

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(

This note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation.

)

These rules amend the District Court Rules by substituting Orders 54 and 54A and by amending Order 57 in relation to maintenance arrears applications. These rules also prescribe new application forms and summonses for use in maintenance applications, applications to vary or discharge maintenance orders, and maintenance arrears applications.

ISB SI

Reg. 8 S.I. No. 221/2025 - District Court (Maintenance) Rules 2025 Open official source

8. The provisions of Order 42A (Third Party Procedure) shall, with necessary modifications, apply to the proceedings mentioned in section 34(5) of the Act.

Declaring a conveyance void.

ISB SI

Reg. 9 S.I. No. 221/2025 - District Court (Maintenance) Rules 2025 Open official source

9. (1) An application to the Court under section 28(1) of the Act to have a conveyance declared void shall be in the Form 60.9, Schedule C, with the necessary modifications.

(2) The order of the Court thereon shall be in the Form 60.10, Schedule C, with the necessary modifications.

Lis Pendens.

(3) A person who instituted proceedings to have a conveyance declared void by reason of section 28(1) of the Act shall, as soon as may be, cause relevant particulars of the proceedings to be entered as a lis pendens under and in accordance with the

Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Act 2009

.

Order dispensing with consent or giving consent.

ISB SI

Reg. 10 S.I. No. 221/2025 - District Court (Maintenance) Rules 2025 Open official source

10. (1) An application for an order under section 29(1), section 29(3) or section 29(4) of the Act to dispense with, or as the case may be, to give, the consent required under section 28 of the Act, of a civil partner to the conveyance of the shared home shall be in the Form 54A.3, Schedule C.

(2) Where it is alleged that the civil partner whose consent is required under section 28 of the Act is incapable of consenting, the original certificate in writing by a consultant psychiatrist, within the meaning of the

Mental Health Act 2001

, shall be annexed to the notice of application lodged with the Clerk. The Court may accept affidavit evidence of the certification, subject to the right of any party contesting the certification to cross-examine.

(3) The order of the Court on such an application shall be in the Form 54A.4, Schedule C.

(4) On granting an application under section 29 of the Act to dispense with or, as the case may be, to give, the consent required under section 28 of the Act, the Court may order pursuant to

section 33

of the Trustee Act 1893 that a person be appointed to execute the conveyance of the interest in question and the order of the Court thereon shall be in the Form 60.13, Schedule C with the necessary modifications.

Protection of Shared Home.

ISB SI

Reg. 11 S.I. No. 221/2025 - District Court (Maintenance) Rules 2025 Open official source

11. (1) An application to the Court for an order under section 30(1) of the Act for the protection of the shared home in the interest of the applicant civil partner or a dependant child of the civil partners shall be in the Form 60.16, Schedule C, with the necessary modifications.

(2) The order of the Court thereon shall be in the Form 60.17, Schedule C, with the necessary modifications.

Conduct leading to loss of Shared Home.

ISB SI

Reg. 12 S.I. No. 221/2025 - District Court (Maintenance) Rules 2025 Open official source

12. (1) An application to the Court for an order under section 30(2) of the Act to compensate the applicant civil partner or a dependant child of the civil partners for loss of interest in the shared home occasioned by the conduct of the other civil partner shall be in the Form 60.18, Schedule C, with the necessary modifications.

(2) The order of the Court thereon shall be in the Form 60.19, Schedule C, with the necessary modifications.

Application under section 194.

ISB SI

Reg. 13 S.I. No. 221/2025 - District Court (Maintenance) Rules 2025 Open official source

13. An application by a qualified cohabitant for an order under section 194 of the Act shall be preceded by the issue and service upon the legal personal representative of the cohabitant of a summons in the Form 54A.1, Schedule C.”

Schedule 2

No. 54.1

Schedule C, O.54, r.4(1)

Application for Maintenance

Family Law (Maintenance of Spouses and Children) Act 1976, as amended.

Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010, as amended.

District Court

Office Completion Only

Case Number

District Court Area

District No.

Section A – Party Details

Applicant Details

First name: .............................................................

Last name: .............................................................

Date of birth: ..................

Address: ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Email Address (Optional): ................................................

Contact Number (Optional): .............................................

Applicant Solicitor Details

(Leave blank if not applicable)

..................................................

Respondent Details

First name: .............................................................

Last name: ...............................................................

Address ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Section B – Maintenance Order Details

ISB SI

Reg. 14 S.I. No. 221/2025 - District Court (Maintenance) Rules 2025 Open official source

14. (1) Where the Court has made an order providing for periodical payments by way of support or maintenance by a maintenance debtor to a maintenance creditor, an application may be made to the Court on a date subsequent to the date on which such order is made pursuant to the provisions of section 41 of the Act of 1995 or, as the case may be, section 52 of the Act of 2010, by any person having an interest in the proceedings to secure the said payments to the maintenance creditor.

(2) Such application must be preceded by the issue and service of a notice in the Form 54.22, Schedule C. The order of the Court granting such application may be in the Form 54.23, Schedule C.

Stay on certain orders the subject of appeal.

ISB SI

Reg. 15 S.I. No. 221/2025 - District Court (Maintenance) Rules 2025 Open official source

15. (1) Notwithstanding the provisions of Order 25, rule 9(4), and Order 101, and that an appellant has entered into a recognizance of appeal, an appeal from an order under—

(i)

section 11

(2)(b) of the

Guardianship of Infants Act 1964

(No. 7 of 1964),

(ii) section 5, 5A, or 7 of the Act of 1976, or

(iii) section 45 or 47 of the Act of 2010

shall, if the Court so determines (but not otherwise), stay the operation of the order.

(2) An application to the Court to stay the operation of an order such as is mentioned in sub-rule (1), may be made following the service and lodgment of a notice of appeal, and lodgment of the recognizance for appeal, and when made otherwise than upon the occasion of the making of those orders must be preceded by the issue of a notice in the Form 54.28, which must be served upon the respondent to the application two days before the hearing of the application. The order of the Court granting the stay may be in the Form 54.29, with any necessary adaptations.

Report under section 47 of the Act of 1976.

ISB SI

Reg. 16 S.I. No. 221/2025 - District Court (Maintenance) Rules 2025 Open official source

16. (1) An application to the Court by a party to make an order giving directions for the purpose of procuring a report in writing on any question affecting the welfare of a party to the proceedings or any other person to whom they relate may be included in writing in the application form or summons, or made at the hearing.

(2) Where the Court grants an application for an order mentioned in sub-rule (1), or makes such an order of its own motion, the order requisitioning the report may be in the Form 58.50, Schedule C.”

“ORDER 54A: OTHER PROCEEDINGS UNDER THE CIVIL PARTNERSHIP AND CERTAIN RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF COHABITANTS ACT 2010

Definitions.

ISB SI

Preamble S.I. No. 221/2025 - District Court (Maintenance) Rules 2025 Open official source

Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of

30

th May,

2025.

The District Court Rules Committee, in exercise of the powers conferred on them by

section 91

of the

Courts of Justice Act 1924

,

section 72

of the

Courts of Justice Act 1936

,

section 34

of the

Courts (Supplemental Provisions) Act 1961

, and

section 24

of the

Interpretation Act 2005

, and of all other powers enabling them in this behalf, with the concurrence of the Minister for Justice, make the following rules of court.

Dated this 25th day of April 2025.

Paul Kelly

Chairperson

Alan Mitchell

Joyce Good Hammond

Ann McGarry

Eoin Martin

Ciara McMahon

James Finn

Eoin Manning

I concur in the making of the following rules of court.

Dated this 28th day of May 2025.

JIM O’CALLAGHAN

Minister for Justice

S.I. No. 221/2025 - District Court (Maintenance) Rules 2025

Table of Provisions (17)

Statutory Text (17 Articles)

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