Courts Publicly Identify Individuals Failing to Pay Child Support

Several magistrate courts across the atolls have begun publicly disclosing the identities of individuals who fail to pay court-ordered child support.

Under the Family Act, individuals who do not comply with child support rulings are considered to have proven debts, allowing the courts to release their identities.

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While the Family Court has yet to implement this practice, the Kulhudhuhfushi Magistrate Court and the Hinnavaru Magistrate Court introduced this measure earlier this month. On January 7, the Hinnavaru Magistrate Court published the name of a defaulter, followed by the Kulhudhuhfushi Magistrate Court, which revealed another individual’s identity yesterday.

Current regulations stipulate that child support payments must amount to MVR 2,000 per month for one child and MVR 1,000 per child for families with more than one child. Courts may order higher payments if the father has greater financial capacity or if the child incurs additional expenses.