The woman demands child support from her ex-husband for nearly 17 years. (Schematic/Pixabay)
In a rare alimony lawsuit in Shanghai, mainland China recently, a woman filed an application for enforcement with the court because she was dissatisfied with her ex-husband’s delay in the maintenance of her daughter’s 500 yuan (about NT$2,238) per month, and filed a lawsuit for her 17 years of support. The daughter’s half cost RMB 230,000 (about NT$ 1.04 million).
According to “Sohu News” report, the woman and her ex-husband agreed in their divorce agreement in 2004 that the man would pay 500 yuan a month for child support until the daughter was 18 years old. However, the woman accused her ex-husband’s long-term work outside the home, which caused her daughter’s education and living expenses to be mostly paid to her. On the grounds of financial difficulties, the man hopes to wait until he has enough money to pay child support, making it impossible for the woman to file a lawsuit and apply for enforcement.
The woman also calculated that she would spend RMB 464,595 (about NT$2.05 million) in child support in the nearly 17 years before her daughter came of age, so she asked her ex-husband to pay half the amount of RMB 232,297.50 (about NT$1.04 million). However, after the trial, the judge held that the content of the woman’s complaint “exceeds the divorce agreement” without the consent of the man, and could not prove that it covers meals, travel, school uniforms, accommodation, extracurricular activities fees, competition course fees, competition examination fees, training fees, The necessity and rationality of medical fees, insurance fees and spectacles fees, the woman’s appeal was rejected.
The judge pointed out that if the payment exceeds the amount agreed in the divorce agreement, it should be notified by the actual supporting party and obtained the consent of the other party before it can take effect. However, the judge still ruled that the woman’s ex-husband must pay the alimony according to the agreement.