Child Support Act 1991

Jurisdiction of courts in relation to child support and domestic maintenance - Miscellaneous provisions

125: Intervention in proceedings

You could also call this:

"People can join and speak up in child support court cases"

You should know about a rule in the Child Support Act 1991 that allows certain people to join in and have a say in court cases about child support, even if they weren't originally part of the case.

The Commissioner, who is in charge of handling child support matters, can join any court case about child support. They can argue and discuss any issues that come up in the case.

If you're a parent or carer of a child who is involved in a child support case, or if you're someone who is either paying or receiving financial support, you can also join in. You can do this even if you weren't part of the case at the start. You'll be able to argue and discuss any issues that relate to the child support or financial support for your child.

When you join a case like this, you become a full participant. This means you have the same rights and responsibilities as everyone else involved in the case.

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This page was last updated on 15 April 2025

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM256006.

Topics:

Family and relationships > Children and parenting

124: Publication of reports of proceedings, or

"Rules for sharing information about child support cases in court"

126: Copies of orders to be forwarded to Commissioner, or

"The court sends copies of child support orders to the Commissioner"

Part 7Jurisdiction of courts in relation to child support and domestic maintenance
Miscellaneous provisions

125Intervention in proceedings

The Commissioner may intervene in, and contest and argue any question arising in, a proceeding under this Act to which he or she is not otherwise a party.
Any parent or carer of a child in respect of whom child support is sought, or any person by whom, or from whom, financial support is sought, may intervene in, and contest and argue any question arising in, a proceeding under this Act which relates to that child support or financial support and to which he or she is not otherwise a party.
If a person intervenes in a proceeding under this Act, the person is to be taken to be a party to the proceedings with all the rights, duties, and liabilities of a party.

Compare

Child Support (Assessment) Act 1989 s 145 (Aust)

Notes

Section 125(2): amended, on 1 April 2015, by section 34 of the Child Support Amendment Act 2013 (2013 No 12).