Can I claim maintenance for my illegitimate child?
Single mothers can claim maintenance even if they are not married to the father of the illegitimate child. This is allowed under Sections 68 to 70 of the Women’s Charter.
A Maintenance Summons needs to be filed in the Family Justice Court and served on the father. Lay people who do not have experience navigating the court procedures often find themselves very lost in the paperwork. This translates to wasted trips to the court, and wasted money when paperwork is done wrongly and has to be re-filed.
It is best to engage an experienced divorce lawyer to guide you through the process of obtaining child maintenance from the father of the child and get your child the financial support your child needs in the growing up years. If your finances are an obstacle to you hiring a divorce lawyer on your own, you should apply to the Legal Aid Bureau (LAB) to see if you qualify for legal aid.
Unable to qualify for legal aid? You can try law firms that offer low bono, i.e. below market rate legal services, such as DMO Law Corporation.
