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I'm sure this has been asked before, and I have searched these forums but everything is dotted all over... So...
. I have a daughter
. 18 months old
. Me and the missus split
. That split is 200 miles away
. I pay her £££'s each month
The actual question is...
I'm paying what the CSA calculates for me each month, and happy to, but as time goes by I'm getting less and less access?
The loss of access comes down to the fact that I cant afford the petrol to get to both work and her house when they dictate it, christ I'm struggling already just to meet the bills on my own, I can put a budget away each month but when she changes the goalposts I'm gone for another month.
Is it worth me going legal and if I did, would I get "set in stone" rights or just keeping it loose and hoping they dont mess me about too often?
Hi there,
Firstly, have a look at this link and speak to CSA/CMS - you might be eligible to apply for a travel variation order against the money you pay to help with the costs. I'm assuming this variation still exists after the reforms.
Secondly, if you choose to go down the legal route, you should get an order to secure routine & consistency for your child. However, court should be avoided where possible as it can often make a situation worse & you could end up with a result that suits neither you, your ex or your child.
Mediation is now mandatory before making a court application and could well be all you need to do to reach agreement with your ex, also, Legal Aid is still available for Mediation but not for anything else.
Good luck 🙂
Spot on, thanks fella.
Are you in Scotland NM? I thought I should mention that the first of 1626 links applies to people that live in Scotland. If you follow the link, at the top of the page you will find a drop down bar and you can click on that for England if need be.
Whoops 🙂 Thanks NJ 🙂
Hello NormalMormon
I am William, the Child Maintenance Options consultant
As mentioned in a previous response, there is a process in place whereby you are able to apply for a variation on your monthly maintenance payments due to your travel costs. You would have to contact the Child Support Agency (CSA) directly to do this. You can find all their contact details here https://www2.dwp.gov.uk/csa/v2/en/contact/index.asp or on any correspondence you have received from them.
The CSA are just one option available to you to arrange maintenance. If you would like information about the other available options, you can visit the Child Maintenance Options website http://www.cmoptions.org.
Regards
William
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