Where Does the Child Live During the Custody Period in Jordan?

The Jordanian Personal Status Law treats the child's housing during the custody period as a financial right tied to maintenance. Article 179 provides that the wage for the custodian's housing is imposed on the person who owes the child's maintenance, according to that person's means, whether comfortable or constrained — in principle, the father.

This connects to Article 181, which speaks of the child's place of residence when organizing visitation and overnight stays, and to Article 178, which addresses the custody wage owed by the one who owes the child's maintenance. The aim is for the child's housing to be fitting and suited to his needs, so the child is not left without suitable housing.

The custodian is not obliged to live in the home of the father or the maintenance-payer; she may have independent housing whose wage is paid by the one who owes maintenance once the conditions of entitlement are met. This wage is assessed according to the payer's means and ability.

Determining the adequacy of housing and the amount of its wage remains within the Sharia Court's competence on the facts of each case, with regard to the child's interest.

This is a general explanation based on Jordanian Personal Status Law and does not replace advice from a qualified lawyer in a specific dispute.