The High Court has ordered a former spouse to pay €2,500 in maintenance arrears and directed that a jointly owned rental property be placed under independent management unless the parties can agree another arrangement within four weeks.
The ruling, delivered by Ms Justice Nuala Jackson on 12 January 2026, arose from disputes following a divorce settlement approved by the High Court in December 2022.
G.G. had sought maintenance arrears from H.I., alleging missed or reduced payments. The settlement required monthly maintenance of €500 for each of two dependent children, together with equal sharing of specified medical and educational expenses.
The judge rejected H.I.’s argument that a child in third-level education ceased to be dependent during summer holidays because of temporary employment or a break in college attendance. She held that dependency continues during normal vacation periods while a course remains ongoing.
After allowing credits for periods when one child had left college before later returning, the court calculated €1,300 due from direct maintenance payments. It added €1,200 for deductions H.I. had made for expenses, including air travel, which were not among the costs covered by the settlement. The total arrears ordered were €2,500, payable within 14 days.
The court also ordered H.I. to deliver a gold-coloured sofa to G.G. within 14 days at his own expense after finding his evidence about the furniture evasive and unclear.
A further dispute concerned a rental property owned 30% by G.G. and 70% by H.I. The parties had failed to agree a partnership arrangement. Ms Justice Jackson concluded that their history made joint management unrealistic and ordered the property to be managed by an independent agency, with net rental income divided according to their ownership shares.
That order will fall away if the parties sign an alternative property partnership agreement within four weeks. The court made no determination on a sale of the property because no such application was before it.