Regulation 1 Citation, commencement and interpretationI1

These Regulations may be cited as the Child Support Departure Direction and Consequential Amendments Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996 and shall come into operation on 2nd December 1996.

In these Regulations—

• “the Order” means the Child Support (Northern Ireland) Order 1991;

• “applicant” has the same meaning as in Schedule 4B to the Order;

• “application” means an application for a departure direction;

• “departure direction application form” means the form provided by the Department in accordance with regulation 4(1);

• “effective date” in relation to a departure direction means the date on which that direction takes effect;

• “Maintenance Assessment Procedure Regulations” means the Child Support (Maintenance Assessment Procedure) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1992^f1;

• “Maintenance Assessments and Special Cases Regulations” means the Child Support (Maintenance Assessments and Special Cases) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1992^f2;

• “maintenance period” has the same meaning as in regulation 32 of the Maintenance Assessment Procedure Regulations;

• “non-applicant” means—

  1. (a)

     where the application has been made by a person with care, the absent parent;

  2. (b)

     where the application has been made by an absent parent, the person with care;

• “partner” has the same meaning as in regulation 1(2) of the Maintenance Assessments and Special Cases Regulations;

• “relevant person” means—

  1. (a)

     an absent parent, or a person who is treated as an absent parent under regulation 20 of the Maintenance Assessments and Special Cases Regulations (persons treated as absent parents), whose liability under a maintenance assessment may be affected by any departure direction given following an application;

  2. (b)

     a person with care, where the amount of child support maintenance payable under a maintenance assessment relevant to that person with care may be affected by any departure direction given following an application.