{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/child-support-act-1991/section-55",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/child-support-act-1991/section-55.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1991/48",
  "legislation_title": "Child Support Act 1991",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/child-support-act-1991",
  "path": "section/55",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "55",
  "heading": "Meaning of “child”.",
  "text": "(1) In this Act, “child” means (subject to subsection (2)) a person who—\n(a) has not attained the age of 16, or\n(b) has not attained the age of 20 and satisfies such conditions as may be prescribed.\n(2) A person who is or has been party to a marriage or civil partnership is not a child for the purposes of this Act.\n(3) For the purposes of subsection (2), “marriage” and “civil partnership” include a void marriage and a void civil partnership respectively.",
  "extent": "E+W+S",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "S. 55 substituted (8.10.2012 for specified purposes, 10.12.2012 in so far as not already in force) by Child Maintenance and Other Payments Act 2008 (c. 6), ss. 42, 62(3); S.I. 2012/2523, art. 2(2)(e); S.I. 2012/3042, art. 4(b)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1991/48/section/55",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:37:00.270775+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}