I stand to be corrected but in the 1940s I think there would be no formal maintenance orders kept in a central place anywhere. Such arrangements would be made privately with or without legal help. Copies of such agreements/orders would therefore be held by individuals or in some solicitor's office. In the 1940s it was deemed there were more important things for our government to be dealing with. The Child Support Agency (CSA) did not come into being until after the Child Support Act of 1991! I agree with Adrian that you would have to have a very good reason for opening up a Court's records - that is if a case ever got to court and you knew exactly in which court the case was heard. I suspect, Rebecca, that you are probably on a hiding to nothing in this particular request. But you never know, a piece of paper turning up in someone's box of memorabilia may turn up one day . Ruth