MAINTENANCE OF CHILD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19882, 28 February 1928, Page 12

MAINTENANCE OF CHILD.

PENNY A WEEK AWARDED. JUDGMENT OF THE COURT. [BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON. Monday. .What is probably the smallest maintenance order ever made against the father of a child was made by Mr. J. H. Salmon, S.M., in the Wellington Magistrate's Court to-day, when a young Greek was ordered to pay a married woman the sum of one penny a week for the upkeep of her child. It was stated in evidence that the mother, in ignorance of the law, had agreed to a lump sum of £6O being paid her in lieu of 15s a week as maintenance secured to her by a previous Court order. She was afraid the man would leave the country. At that time she was about to marry her present husband. Mr. Salmon said ho did not think it was a lawful thing for complainant to have been given the £6O when she was acting in ignorance of the law. It was not in the child's interests that she should accept this small sum for its future upkeep, when the father would have had to keep tho child until it was 16 years of ago. The £6O, however, which she had accepted, would cover the 15s a week up till May, 1929. In the meantime there would be nothing to stop defendant leaving the country, as complainant's acceptance of the money in agreeing to settle the whole affair had done away with the past order. However, so that the father would not be able to leave New Zealand the Court would make an order for one penny a week in the mother's favour. When the £6O had all been used up, by May of next year, the Court would review" the matter of future maintenance.