The legal term for regular, ongoing maintenance payments — usually monthly — paid by one party to the other, as opposed to a one-off lump sum. A 'periodical payments order' is the court order that sets this up. Periodical payments can be for a spouse (spousal maintenance) or for a child (child maintenance, though that's usually via the CMS). They can be ordered for a fixed term, until a specific event (like remarriage), or for life in some cases. This is the term the court uses for what many people simply call 'maintenance'.
In Plain English
Regular money paid from one person to another, usually every month, often called maintenance. This can be for a former spouse or for children to help cover their ongoing living costs.
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