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Hi all.
Can anyone help me. I've recently split with my wife and am paying £200 monthly towards maintenance, we own a property that I live in on my own, I'm paying all the mortgage on my own with no contribution from her is she supposed to pay half towards it?
Also as well as the £200 maintenance she's now asking for half of the money towards clothes, the odd £10 here and there has added up to the best part of £300 this month already.
Also what does the £200 maintenance cover.
Thank you!
the maintenance payment covers whatever the mother wishes to spend it on sadly as you cant usually stipulate what it must go on.
was it am mutual agreement on the £200 or is that what you have been ordered to pay because you shouldn't be giving her anymore than arranged
If the maintenance is by order of CMS/CSA, then that's all you need to pay, you are under no legal obligation to pay any extra, so she can't demand this - if it isn't under CMS, then go to the calculator to see roughly what you should be paying according to them.
With regards to the mortgage, you are jointly liable I suspect, so the mortgage company can come after either of you if there is a default on payment, but in reality, in the long run, they would rely on the equity for their security. You would need to get that sorted out asap in the divorce. Also don't agree to a lump sum payment to her in lieu of child maintenance payments - after 12 months, the CMS can disregard that and you lose that money and still pay child maintenance.
Hello Leecrell
Child maintenance is a contribution towards the cost of bringing up a child and this includes not only items such as food and clothing, but also, it is a contribution towards the home that the child lives in and the associated costs of running that home.
If your current arrangement is a mutual agreement between the two of you (what is often referred to as a family-based arrangement), there are no strict rules to follow. These types of arrangements are flexible and they allow for negotiation between the two parents as to what they wish to include as part of this arrangement.
With a family-based arrangement, you can choose to pay for other things such as clothing and food etc. rather than the arrangement just being about money.
The Child Maintenance Options website has lots of supporting tools and information available at, http://www.cmoptions.org, which have been designed to support you to put a family-based arrangement in place, or help to strengthen a family-based arrangement that's already in place.
If your current arrangement is set up with the Child Maintenance Service or the Child Support Agency (CSA), you are legally expected to pay the amounts that are worked out by them. Alternatively, if you have an arrangement that's been set up through the courts - you may wish to refer back to the legal documentation or seek legal advice for further support.
You may be interested to know that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) have a website called ‘Sorting out separation'. This website aims to make it much easier for separating and separated parents (and childless couples) to find the support they need, when and where they need it, and encourages them to collaborate on a range of issues. You can visit the website by following this link https://www.sortingoutseparation.org.uk/.
If you would like any further information, and to receive a more personalised service, you can contact Child Maintenance Options directly.
Regards
William
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