[Withdrawn] Getting someone to manage your child maintenance case - GOV.UK

This leaflet is no longer up to date. Contact the Child Maintenance Service if you need someone to manage your case.

We can allow someone else to deal with your Child Maintenance Service case for you.

The person who does this is called a ‘client representative’.

In most cases, you have to give your written permission for someone to be your client representative.

However, this does not apply if your chosen client representative has ‘power of attorney’ giving them authority to look after your financial affairs.

Your representative will act on your behalf. For example, they can:

If your representative has power of attorney for your property and your financial affairs, they will have full responsibility for your Child Maintenance Service case.

This means that as well as being able to do the things listed above, they also have the authority to:

No, you don’t. But anyone can use a client representative if they want to.

Clients who get someone to act on their behalf usually do this because:

Also, all our information leaflets and letters can be sent to you in large print, Braille or in another language of your choice.

You can make someone your representative when you first apply to the Child Maintenance Service. If you are making the application, you can write their details on your application form.

If you decide at a later date that you want to make someone your representative, you’ll need to write to us, telling us the name of the person you want to act for you and their contact

details.

Once we get your request, we will check that the person you have named is happy to act as your representative.

In some circumstances we may be able to meet you in person to discuss making someone your client representative. Please call us to talk about this.

If the person is already legally authorised to act on your behalf − for example, if they hold a power of attorney for property and financial affairs − they can write to us directly and

arrange to be your representative.

If they hold an ‘ordinary’ or a ‘general’ power of attorney, we will also contact you to make sure that you’re happy for them to act on your behalf. If they hold a lasting power of attorney,

we won’t ask for your permission.

Once you have written to us, we will contact the person you want to act for. We will confirm with them that they are happy for you to continue to act for them (if you have a lasting power of

attorney we do not need to do this).

If you decide that you no longer want someone to be your representative, or if you want to change your representative, you can do this by calling us (unless your representative has lasting

power of attorney).

You should tell us as soon as possible if you no longer want someone to be your representative.

We can also decide to stop someone from being your representative, if we think that they are not fit to do this.

If your representative has a power of attorney, we will need to see proof of this. You or they will need to send it to us with the filled-in Client Representative form or other written

request.

The proof we need depends on the type of power of attorney your representative has.

If your representative has an ‘ordinary’ or a ‘general’ power of attorney, you or they will need to send us written confirmation that meets certain legal requirements. Details of these

requirements are available below.

If your representative has a ‘lasting’, ‘continuing’ or ‘continuing & welfare’ power of attorney, you or they will need to send us written confirmation that has been certified by the Office

of the Public Guardian or the High Court.

If you or your representative have a joint power of attorney, we need written confirmation from all representatives.

If you or your representative have a joint and separate power of attorney, we can accept written confirmation from you or any others who also hold a joint and separate power of attorney.

The power of attorney document must meet certain requirements for us to accept it.