{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/maintenance-orders-act-1958/section-21",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/maintenance-orders-act-1958/section-21.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/Eliz2/6-7/39",
  "legislation_title": "Maintenance Orders Act 1958",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/maintenance-orders-act-1958",
  "path": "section/21",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "21",
  "heading": "Interpretation, etc.",
  "text": "(1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, the following expressions have the following meanings—\n...\n. . .\n“defendant”, in relation to a maintenance order or a related attachment of earnings order, means the person liable to make payments under the maintenance order;\n. . .\n“England” includes Wales;\n. . .\n“prescribed” means prescribed by rules of court;\n“proper officer”, in relation to a magistrates’ court, means the clerk of the court;\n...\n(2) Any reference in this Act to a person entitled to receive payments under a maintenance order is a reference to a person entitled to receive such payments either directly or through another person or for transmission to another person.\n(3) Any reference in this Act to proceedings relating to an order includes a reference to proceedings in which the order may be made.\n(4) Any reference in this Act to costs incurred in proceedings relating to a maintenance order shall be construed, in the case of a maintenance order made by the High Court, as a reference to such costs as are included in an order for costs relating solely to that maintenance order.\n(5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(6) Any reference in this Act to any enactment is a reference to that enactment as amended by or under any subsequent enactment.",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 21(1) omitted (22.4.2014) by virtue of Crime and Courts Act 2013 (c. 22), s. 61(3), Sch. 10 para. 13; S.I. 2014/954, art. 2(d) (with art. 3) (with transitional provisions and savings in S.I. 2014/956, arts. 3-11)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Definitions of “attachment of earnings order”, “earnings”, “employer”, “excepted sums”, and “maintenance order” repealed by Administration of Justice Act 1970 (c. 31), Sch. 11"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Definition of “proper officer”in s. 21(1) repealed (1.4.2001) by 1999 c. 22, s. 106, Sch. 15 Pt. V(7) (with s. 107, Sch. 14 para. 7(2), 36(9)); S.I. 2001/916, art. 2(c)(ii) (with transitional provision in Sch. 2 para. 2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Words in s. 21(1) repealed (1.4.2005) by Courts Act 2003 (c. 39), s. 110(1), Sch. 8 para. 104, Sch. 10; S.I. 2005/910, art. 3(y)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "S. 21(5) repealed by Administration of Justice Act 1970 (c. 31), Sch. 11"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "S. 21 applied (14.10.1991) by S.I. 1991/1247, rule 7.22"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C2",
      "text": "S. 21 applied (18.6.2011) by The Magistrates Courts (Enforcement or Variation of Orders Made in Family Proceedings and Miscellaneous Provisions) Rules 2011 (S.I. 2011/1329), rules 1, 34(2) (with rule 3)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [
    {
      "type": "amended",
      "affecting": "ukpga/1999/22",
      "affecting_title": "Access to Justice Act 1999"
    },
    {
      "type": "repealed in part",
      "affecting": "ukpga/1999/22",
      "affecting_title": "Access to Justice Act 1999"
    }
  ],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Eliz2/6-7/39/section/21",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T11:12:55.712187+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."
}