Religious Court rulings that oblige child support after divorce frequently remain mere paper judgments devoid of meaningful enforceability, leaving the economic and caregiving burden to fall entirely on mothers. This article examines the problem through two complementary lenses: Nonet and Selznick's responsive law theory and an Islamic family law perspective that positions child support as huquq al-walad, a fixed (luzum) right of the child that does not lapse upon the dissolution of the parents' marriage. Using normative legal research supported by statutory, conceptual, and comparative approaches, this article analyses the City of Surabaya's administrative innovation of flagging the Population Identification Number (NIK) of former husbands in arrears as a starting point for formulating a more responsive national enforcement model. The findings show that oversight built on the integration of civil registry data and Religious Court rulings can drive compliance without resorting to protracted forced execution, yet its effectiveness remains confined to formally registered marriages, leaving a protection gap for children born of unregistered (siri) marriages. The article recommends reconstructing a national enforcement model that combines institutional synergy among Religious Courts, Civil Registry Offices, and local governments with strengthened access to marriage ratification (itsbat nikah) as a precondition for inclusive justice.
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