Recent Trends in Child Maintenance Schemes in 14 Countries

Changes in family formations in western industrialized countries since the 1960s have not been reflected in cross-national research in the area of child maintenance. This article outlines child support regimes in 14 countries, considering the locus of formal decision making, the determination of child maintenance obligations – highlighted by way of national informant responses to two fictitious vignette scenarios – and the enforcement and penalty provisions used in the event of non-compliance. The article concludes that while some broad trends can be identified across countries, there is diversity in how countries respond to family change.