European UnionMy ex won't pay child maintenance and lives in another EU country. How do I enforce it?
You can enforce a child maintenance order across EU countries using the EU Maintenance Regulation (Regulation (EU) No 4/2009), which allows you to apply for recognition and enforcement in your ex’s country of residence without starting a new case.
What the Law Says
The EU Maintenance Regulation (Regulation (EU) No 4/2009) creates a streamlined system for recognising and enforcing child maintenance decisions across participating EU countries.
If you have a valid maintenance decision from a court or authority in one EU country, it must be recognised and enforced in another participating EU country without review of its substance.
You apply to the ‘central authority’ in your ex’s country of residence — they must process your request within six weeks and cannot charge fees.
The regulation applies automatically: no new lawsuit is needed, and courts in the responding country cannot re-examine the merits of your original order.
Statutory TextA decision on maintenance obligations rendered in a Member State shall be recognised in the other Member States without any special procedure being required.
— Regulation (EU) No 4/2009, Art. 17 — Recognition of decisions
Statutory TextThe central authority shall, without delay and free of charge, take all appropriate measures to obtain payment of maintenance claims.
— Regulation (EU) No 4/2009, Art. 51 — Duties of central authorities
What Courts Have Said
EU courts have consistently upheld the automatic recognition and simplified enforcement under Regulation 4/2009.
The CJEU confirmed that national courts must recognise foreign maintenance orders immediately under Article 17 — no substantive review is permitted, even if national law would normally require it.
The Court ruled that central authorities must act proactively and without delay under Article 51, including assisting with locating debtors and tracing assets across borders.
What to Do
Contact your national central authority (e.g., the UK’s Child Maintenance Service or Germany’s Bundesamt für Justiz) — find yours via the European e-Justice Portal.
Submit your original maintenance decision (certified copy) and completed Form A (application for enforcement) to the central authority in your ex’s country of residence.
The authority must acknowledge receipt within 1 week and decide on enforcement within 6 weeks.
If enforcement fails, ask the authority to pursue alternative measures — wage garnishment, bank account seizure, or referral to local enforcement agencies.
You may also request legal aid: Regulation 4/2009 guarantees free legal assistance for applicants seeking maintenance for children.
Sources
Same Question, Other Jurisdictions
US Federal
UK
Australia
South Korea
SingaporeNot legal advice. This article is general information based on publicly available sources, written for educational purposes. Laws change and individual situations vary. Consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction before acting on anything you read here. Last reviewed: 2026-06-08.