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Hello all,
Can anyone give me some advice here? I have been paying child maintenance for near 14 years, I have paid the agreed amount with my childs mother without fail. On top of the maintenance, over the years I have paid for different clubs, music lessons, school uniforms, holidays. Just the usual stuff dads pay for with no thought about it. 2.5 years ago I got a letter drawn up by a solicitor with the agreed amount and we both signed. Now my daughters mother says I have been cheating her out of money for the last 14 years and wants to go to the CSA to see what she is entitled too. If this is what she wants to do that is fair enough, but if I have not been paying enough can they go back 14 years and make me pay any short falls. Bear in mind I do not keep receipts for all the other stuff I have paid for over the years.
My child has never wanted for anything, it is just her mother has obviously been talking to someone and they have told her I should be paying more than I have done over the years.
The CSA or CMS as it’s now known, can only back date arrears of a claim, as far back as the claim was first opened with them.
If she signed a letter, agreeing to the amount, although I don’t believe it’s legally binding, it does show that she was in agreement with you.
Either parent can open a claim with the CMS, heres a link to their calculator, you can input the details of your income etc and get a rough idea of what they would expect you to pay.
www.gov.uk/calculate-your-child-maintenance
The amount might be less than you’re paying or even if the same, or a little more, you wouldn’t have to pay anything extra on top, which you have been doing.
I’m not suggesting that you do that, if it’s to the detriment of your daughter, but it might give you some leverage if she realises what the situation would be in reality.
Hope that helps.
Thanks Mojo,
I was hoping this was the case. I have done a check and I may be eligible to pay around £50 a month more but if that happens everything else will stop. There will be no winner in this situation, especially my child.
Thanks again...:cheer:
Perhaps you need to point that out to her, a private arrangement, where you’re contributing to extras throughout the year would be better for your child and her if she’s honest.
Best of luck
Hello SGF
Mojo is correct, if an application was made to the Child Maintenance Service, your responsibility to pay would start from around the point that you contact them or they contact you.
The amount that the Child Maintenance Service calculate would be the amount that you would legally be expected to pay, you would not be obliged to pay for anything extra, however, you can do so if you wish.
For more information on all the different ways to set up child maintenance and for a more personalised service, you can visit the Child Maintenance Options website at http://www.cmoptions.org.
The DWP have a sorting out separation website that you may find useful. It offers help and support to separating and separated families. The link is: https://www.sortingoutseparation.org.uk/.
Regards
William
Good afternoon,
Hang in there child support finishes in a few years then you can enjoy a cold wine and some Maltesers
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