End of the 12 month rule in consent orders

Hi

Bit of background. OH is divorced, but his ex-wife did it all online and didn't sort the Consent Order they had agreed before applying for Decree Absolute. They're going through the process of sorting it now.

After lots of going backwards and forwards with drafts the online people she is using (who haven't exactly impressed me so far!) have now said that the law changed within the last month re the 12 month rule with respect to child maintenance and consent orders and so they need to go away and understand these changes before they can continue processing the draft consent order. They claim the changes have "just happened in the last month" but "they only heard about them two days ago".

After lots of time on google I can find nothing about any such changes and I'm sorry to say I smell a rat. Anyone know if there have been any such changes please?

Many thanks.

Well, I've not heard anything that alters the status quo - the 12-month rule is alive and well.

There is a child maintenance bill which proposes to extend the 12 month-rule beyond 12 months but that is only due for second reading in the House of Commons in April i.e. a couple of years away become law, if at all.

Charles