I am Jewish and for several years have been living with a man who is registered as having no religion. We have two children. Recently, he has stopped giving me money for them. Do they have the right to financial support from him if we are not married ?
By: דיאנה שאלתיאל•Published on: 27 June, 2022Minor children whose parents are not married have the right to be supported according to the personal law relating to their particular religion of their parents. When one of the parents does not have a personal law – as is the case with your cohabitee – then civil law applies, the Family Law Amendment (Maintenance) Act of 1959. Under this legislation the burden of financial support for a child falls on both parents, not solely on the father, according to their relative incomes, from birth until the age of 18 . If the mother does not work but the father does, then the maintenance burden will fall on him but if the mother works her salary will be taken into account.