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What can be done if the Respondent (the person who is ordered to pay maintenance) cannot be found?

If you do not know where the Respondent lives, you can still apply to enforce the maintenance order by making a Magistrate's Complaint (See "How to apply for Maintenance"). If the Respondent cannot be found, you should inform the court. The court will then search its records for the Respondent's current or last known address and serve the legal process there. The case will then proceed in the usual way.

Can I enforce a maintenance order against a Respondent (the person who is ordered to pay maintenance) who is living overseas?

This depends on which country the Respondent is living in. Singapore has an arrangement with certain countries for the enforcement of maintenance orders made in Singapore (see the countries under the Maintenance Order (Facilities for Enforcement) and Maintenance Order (Reciprocal Enforcement) Act). If the Respondent lives in one of these countries, you may apply to enforce the maintenance order by attending at the Family Court. You will need to bring a photograph of the Respondent, a copy of your maintenance order, and his address in the foreign country. The court will then send copies of all the relevant documents, including the order of court, to the authorities in the foreign country, for them to serve on the Respondent. Upon service of these documents, the foreign authorities will take steps to enforce the maintenance order against the Respondent. It should be noted, however, that as the court has to liaise with foreign authorities and foreign courts, and has to depend on the foreign authorities and foreign courts to take action in the matter, the whole process may take some time