- Laws of Fiji

Last Updated: 1 December 2016

[FAM 157] Matters to be taken into consideration in relation to spousal maintenance157

157

In exercising jurisdiction under section 155, the court may take into account only the following matters—

(a)the age and state of health of each of the parties;
(b)the income, property and financial resources (including any interest in leasehold or real estate which is inalienable) of each of the parties and the physical and mental capacity of each of them for appropriate gainful employment;
(c)whether either party has the care or control of a child of the marriage who has not attained the age of 18 years;
(d)commitments of each of the parties that are necessary to enable the party to support—
- (i)himself or herself; and
- (ii)a child or another person that the party has a duty to maintain;
(e)the responsibilities of either party to support any other person;
(f)the eligibility of either party for a pension, allowance or benefit under—
- (i)any law of Fiji or of another country; or
- (ii)any superannuation fund or scheme, whether the fund or scheme was established, or operates, within or outside Fiji;
(g)the rate of any such pension, allowance or benefit being paid to either party;
(h)a standard of living that in all the circumstances is reasonable;
(i)the extent to which the payment of maintenance to the party whose maintenance is under consideration would increase the earning capacity of that party by enabling that party to undertake a course of education or training or to establish himself or herself in a business or otherwise to obtain an adequate income;
(j)the extent to which the party whose maintenance is under consideration has contributed to the income, earning capacity, property and financial resources of the other party;
(k)the duration of the marriage and the extent to which it has affected the earning capacity of the party whose maintenance is under consideration;
(l)if either party is cohabiting with another person, the financial circumstances relating to the cohabitation;
(m)the terms of any order made or proposed to be made under section 161 in relation to the property of the parties.