🌍 Children, inheritance & global · #10

After divorce, who must pay child maintenance, and until when?

A father must maintain his children, whether still married or divorced, and whether or not the children live with him. Maintenance covers food, clothing, housing, education and medical care, according to the father's means and the child's needs. The hadith of Hind shows that a mother may take, on a reasonable basis, what suffices for herself and the child if the husband is miserly. Under fiqh, a son's maintenance continues until he reaches puberty and is able to work, and a daughter's until she marries. In Malaysia, the court may order maintenance until 18 years of age or beyond if the child continues their studies; maintenance does not lapse for an unmarried daughter or a disabled child (Act 303 s.79). The mother may file a claim and an enforcement application in the Syariah Court. See child maintenance.

Sources

Surah al-Baqarah 2:233Surah at-Talaq 65:6Sahih al-Bukhari 5364Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Aqdhiyah

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This answer is general reference, not a fatwa. For your situation, consult the religious affairs office, a Syarie lawyer or your state Syariah Court.

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