Child Support Act 1991

Enforcement provisions - Provisions as to enforcement of financial support liability

197: Application of Legal Services Act 2000

You could also call this:

"How to get legal help for child support cases in court"

If you are someone who has to pay child support and you are called to appear in the District Court or Family Court under certain sections of the Child Support Act, you can ask for legal help. This is the same kind of legal help that people get when they are charged with a crime. The rules for getting this legal help are in a law called the Legal Services Act 2000. Even though you're not being charged with a crime, you can still use these rules to try to get legal help for your child support 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=DLM257060.

Topics:

Family and relationships > Children and parentingCrime and justice > Courts and legal help

196: Contempt procedures, or

"Court can make you do community work if you don't pay child support when you can afford it"

198: Liable person doing community work to be discharged on payment, or

"You can stop doing community work for child support debt if you pay what you owe"

Part 11Enforcement provisions
Provisions as to enforcement of financial support liability

197Application of Legal Services Act 2000

Every liable person who is summoned or brought before the District Court or Family Court under section 190 or section 196 of this Act may apply for the grant of legal aid under the Legal Services Act 2000 as if the person had been charged with an offence, and that Act, with the necessary modifications, shall apply accordingly.

Compare

1980 No 94 s 131

Notes

Section 197 heading: amended, on 1 February 2001, pursuant to section 126(1) of the Legal Services Act 2000 (2000 No 42).
Section 197: amended, on 1 March 2017, by section 261 of the District Court Act 2016 (2016 No 49).
Section 197: amended, on 1 February 2001, pursuant to section 126(1) of the Legal Services Act 2000 (2000 No 42).