Child Support in Oman (2026 Legal Guide) — Rules & Requirements
About this article
Sourced from Omani royal decrees, ministerial decisions, and the Basic Statute of the State. Written in plain language for general understanding — this is educational content, not legal advice. Our editorial standards
What is this right?
Oman law requires parents to financially support their children under Ibadi maintenance rules:
- Father's obligation: The father is primarily responsible for providing nafaqah (maintenance) for his children, including food, housing, clothing, education, and healthcare.
- Amount: The Sharia court sets maintenance based on the father's income and the child's needs. There is no fixed formula — the judge has discretion.
- Duration: Maintenance continues until sons can support themselves (or complete education) and until daughters marry.
- Wife's maintenance: During marriage, the husband must provide maintenance to the wife. After divorce, maintenance is owed during the iddah period.
- Enforcement: If the father refuses to pay, the court can garnish wages, freeze bank accounts, or impose a travel ban.
When does it apply?
- You are a divorced or separated parent with minor children — the father must pay maintenance.
- You are a wife during the iddah period — you are entitled to maintenance from your ex-husband.
- The father is not paying the court-ordered maintenance — you can request enforcement.
What to Do If Your Child's Father in Oman Refuses to Pay Court-Ordered Maintenance
- File a maintenance claim at the Sharia court — provide evidence of the children's expenses and the father's income.
- If maintenance is ordered but not paid, go back to the Sharia court and request enforcement (wage garnishment or travel ban).
- Keep receipts and records of all expenses related to the children.
- You can request an increase in maintenance if circumstances change (e.g., rising costs, child's medical needs).
What should you NOT do?
- Do not accept verbal promises — get the maintenance order in writing from the Sharia court.
- Do not withhold visitation because maintenance is unpaid — these are separate legal matters.
- Do not delay filing — maintenance is only ordered from the date of the court application, not retroactively.
About Family Law in Oman
Oman family law sits under the Personal Status Law (Royal Decree 32/1997), applied through Sharia courts using Ibadi Islamic jurisprudence — distinct from Sunni and Shia rules on divorce, inheritance, and shares. Marriage needs mutual consent, mahr, the bride's wali, mandatory premarital medical screening, and court registration; minimum age is 18. Divorce comes through talaq, khul', or judicial dissolution. Custody follows the best interests of the child — mothers usually keep boys until 7 and girls until 9. Domestic violence is criminalised by the Anti-Domestic Violence Law (Royal Decree 8/2021).
Common Questions
What is the child support and maintenance right in Oman?
Oman law requires parents to financially support their children under Ibadi maintenance rules:Father's obligation: The father is primarily responsible for providing nafaqah (maintenance) for his children, including food, housing, clothing, education, and healthcare.Amount: The Sharia court sets maintenance based on the father's income and the child's needs. There is no fixed formula — the judge has discretion.Duration: Maintenance continues until sons can support themselves (or complete education) and until daughters marry.Wife's maintenance: During marriage, the husband must provide...
When does it apply — child support and maintenance?
You are a divorced or separated parent with minor children — the father must pay maintenance.You are a wife during the iddah period — you are entitled to maintenance from your ex-husband.The father is not paying the court-ordered maintenance — you can request enforcement.
What should I do if the father of my children in Oman stops paying the maintenance ordered by the Sharia court?
File a maintenance claim at the Sharia court — provide evidence of the children's expenses and the father's income.If maintenance is ordered but not paid, go back to the Sharia court and request enforcement (wage garnishment or travel ban).Keep receipts and records of all expenses related to the children.You can request an increase in maintenance if circumstances change (e.g., rising costs, child's medical needs).
What should you NOT do — child support and maintenance?
Do not accept verbal promises — get the maintenance order in writing from the Sharia court.Do not withhold visitation because maintenance is unpaid — these are separate legal matters.Do not delay filing — maintenance is only ordered from the date of the court application, not retroactively.