AL-KHOBAR — Saudi courts received 1,039 child custody cases and 1,188 alimony cases during the last quarter of 2014, according to Ministry of Justice statistics. The statistics also showed that Makkah had the highest rate of both types of cases with 192 child custody cases and 158 alimony cases, Makkah reported. The Secretary General of the National Society for Human Rights Khalid Al-Fakhry said the Personal Status Court just opened six months ago but it is already handling all family cases and legal affairs such as child custody, alimony and divorce. He said: “Having such cases handled by specialized courts and judges means a better facilitation of procedures. “But we still face the obstacle of having plaintiffs and defendants remaining absent from court sometimes. “As minor as this may seem, it is absolutely detrimental to the progress of the case.” He added that filing a lawsuit has become a very clear and straightforward process. After opening the case file the court will schedule three hearings. The court only permits defendants one instance of absence and gives a maximum of four hearings for each case. In addition, the ministry has offered a number of e-services to facilitate legal processes. Al-Fakhry said: “The Personal Status Court does not have a charter for most of its cases, but the court's judges have set fixed alimony amounts depending on the cases presented. “The criteria for defining alimony amounts is the income of the husband, the amount of residence or car rent he has to pay, family expenses, number of wives and children.” Al-Fakhry stressed on the importance of having a legal charter for child custody and alimony cases to accommodate rising living expenses and eliminate forgery of documents. He said: “If the husband refused to oblige with the executive judge's ruling, the judge has the authority to cut the husband's salary by contacting his employer or the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency directly. “Every woman should know that she has the right to file a lawsuit if her husband or guardian is not providing her with her alimony.”
