{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/child-support-northern-ireland-order-1991/article-3",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/child-support-northern-ireland-order-1991/article-3.json",
  "legislation": "nisi/1991/2628",
  "legislation_title": "The Child Support (Northern Ireland) Order 1991",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/child-support-northern-ireland-order-1991",
  "path": "article/3",
  "kind": "article",
  "number": "3",
  "heading": "Meaning of “child”",
  "text": "(1) In this Order, “child” means (subject to paragraph (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 Order.\n(3) For the purposes of paragraph (2), “marriage” and “civil partnership” include a void marriage and a void civil partnership respectively.",
  "extent": "N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Art. 3 substituted (3.12.2012 for specified purposes, 10.12.2012 in so far as not already in operation) by Child Maintenance Act (Northern Ireland) 2008 (c. 10), ss. 26, 41(1); S.R. 2012/423, art. 2(2)(c); S.R. 2012/440, art. 2(2)(a) (with art. 4)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisi/1991/2628/article/3",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T04:45:21.435585+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."
}