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Hi everyone,
This is my first post so please go easy on me.
Back in August 2023 my ex wife and son (Toby age 12) moved to Norway. This was due to her actually being half Norwegian and looking to be closer to more supportive family members etc.
for some background we haven't lived together since my son was 2.
Anyways the move went fine and things have been ok. Her lack of communication at times can she frustrating.
Today I received a barrage of insults and abuse about having always been a sh*t father and never contributing enough etc etc.
I have religiously used the child maintenance calculator and transferred that using the reference (voluntary contribution).
I suspect things aren't going very well in Norway and she is strapped for cash. She had hoped to gain some more financial stability/flexibility.
Anyways I could rant about this all day. I think her biggest threat was to go after me for child maintenance which I don't quite understand. The calculator says I should be paying £270 and I pay £310 so she stands to get less?
Someone please help me through this madness.
Hi,
She will not be able to register with CMS UK:
You cannot apply if the child and the parent with main day-to-day care live outside the UK.
https://www.gov.uk/child-maintenance-service/eligibility
She might be able to open a claim using Norways system. Some info here:
https://www.norden.org/en/info-norden/child-support-child-maintenance-norway
@bill337 Thank you for taking the time to reply, I really appreciate that.
It would seem as though you are correct and child maintenance can't be initiated here in the UK as a non resident.
It looks like it is POSSIBLE for her to go down the maintenance route in Norway. My biggest concern is the Norwegian courts requesting an astronomical amount from me based on the cost of living in Norway etc. Surely the UK courts would intervene and prevent this from happening.
@bill337 ,
My case is similar in that I do not believe that my ex is in the UK, but abroad - not sure where exactly but trying to find out through the authorities.
Following a consent divorce application made abroad, I wrote to the Home Office to notify them that I was no longer sponsoring my ex's spousal visa and that she was out of the country. From details obtained on the UKVI website, they may have contacted her to notify her of this change, and that she would have to apply for a separate visa. (My ex had previously applied and obtained a three-year visitor’s visa to the United States and having heard from the Home Office, this is where I believe she is with my son, staying with her older sister.)
In early June, I received a letter from CMS regarding an application which was submitted by my ex, however, I informed them that as far as I was concerned she was outside of the country with my son.
To date, and despite my attempts to make contact, I have not heard from my ex regarding the whereabouts and wellbeing of my son. I use a simple test that if she was indeed in the United Kingdom she would have been desperate for her (and my son's) personal belongings which I am still in possession and would happily return them where they requested. Another test pertains to my son starting schooling, him being 3 years old, is entitled to do. I would have expected to know about which school he is attending and all the details pertaining to this. In my understanding, schools are required to ensure that I have equal access to information about my son. I believe this includes school reports and letters, invitation to parents' evenings. The schools should ensure they have up-to-date contact details for both parents. I have not been informed of any of these points.
It is for these reasons that I strongly believe that my ex and son are outside the United Kingdom and from the material on the CMS website, https://www.gov.uk/child-maintenance-if-one-parent-lives-abroad , a new maintenance application cannot be made when resident parent and child have left the country!
I informed CMS and they casually responded to say that as my ex is claiming child benefits, she's in the country with my son! From my understanding, anyone can claim benefits as long as they provide a UK address and bank details etc. I am working through the relevant authorities to ascertain where my son is, but it appears that I will still be liable to pay child maintenance?
I'd appreciate your comments on this, but really thankful that you have set up this forum.
OKC.
@okc hi. if she is abroad, you can try report child benefit fraud: https://www.gov.uk/report-tax-fraud
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