Reciprocal Enforcement of Maintenance Orders (REMOs)
A reciprocal enforcement maintenance order (REMO) is an international agreement between different countries that can help recover child maintenance from a parent living outside the United Kingdom (UK). A REMO can also help a parent living abroad claim maintenance from the parent living in the UK.
The information on this page relates to REMO applications between Northern Ireland and countries outside the UK. If you live in another UK jurisdiction, visit: England and Wales - Child Maintenance if a parent lives abroad and Scotland - Reciprocal enforcement of maintenance orders.
How the REMO process works
REMO is the process where an applicant can apply for a maintenance decision to be made against someone living in a country outside of the United Kingdom (UK). An applicant can also apply to have an existing maintenance decision, including a child maintenance assessment in certain circumstances, recognised and declared enforceable in a country outside of the UK.
The REMO process cannot be used when both parties live within the United Kingdom. The Child Maintenance Service should be contacted where this scenario applies.
Applying for a REMO
The REMO team is part of the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service. If you are a receiving parent who lives in the UK and the paying parent lives abroad, you should contact the Reciprocal Enforcement of Maintenance Orders (REMO) team at reciprocalenforcement@courtsni.gov.uk .
The administrative service is free to applicants. The REMO team will check and confirm if there is a reciprocal arrangement with the country in which the paying parent lives and will answer any queries and issue applications forms to be filled in. The REMO team will manage the case on the applicant’s behalf up to and following registration of the maintenance decision with the reciprocating country.
Legal advice
REMO staff are not qualified to offer legal advice. Applicants may wish to seek independent legal advice. Applicants may be entitled to receive legal aid. For further information about this, applicants should contact the Law Society of Northern Ireland.
The Law Society of Northern Ireland (lawsoc-ni.org)