Hong Kong Ordinances

MATRIMONIAL PROCEEDINGS AND PROPERTY ORDINANCE - SECT 4

Financial provision for party to a marriage in cases of divorce, etc.

(1) On granting a decree of divorce, a decree of nullity of marriage or a
decree of judicial separation or at any time thereafter

(whether, in the case of a decree of divorce or of nullity of marriage, before
or after the decree is made absolute), the court may, subject to the
provisions of section 25(1), make any one or more of the following orders,
that is to say-

   (a)  an order that either party to the marriage shall make to the other
        such periodical payments and for such term as may be specified in the
        order;

   (b)  an order that either party to the marriage shall secure to the other
        to the satisfaction of the court, such periodical payments and for
        such term as may be so specified;

   (c)  an order that either party to the marriage shall pay to the other such
        lump sum or sums as may be so specified.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1)(c), an order under
this section that a party to a marriage shall pay a lump sum to the other
party-

   (a)  may be made for the purpose of enabling that other party to meet any
        liabilities or expenses reasonably incurred by him or her in
        maintaining himself or herself or any child of the family before
        making an application for an order under this section;

   (b)  may provide for the payment of that sum by instalments of such amount
        as may be specified in the order and may require the payment of the
        instalments to be secured to the satisfaction of the court. [cf. 1970
        c.45 s.2 U.K.]