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Hi, I currently pay the stated amount of maintenance for my two children but Ex is adamant I should pay way more and has said she is going to go down the legal route. She also has two children from another relationship, I was just wondering if anybody knew whether she could take me and not take the other ex down the legal rpute?
Many Thanks
Bradley
Hello BChapman221503
If your ex-partner was to make an application to the Child Maintenance Service (which is the Government's statutory maintenance service), it would become your legal responsibility to pay the amount calculated by them for your two children. Your ex-partner may choose to keep a mutual arrangement with her other ex-partner, but you would only be expected to pay maintenance for your two biological children.
All parents have a responsibility to provide regular and reliable maintenance for their children, and there are several options available to you for setting up a maintenance arrangement. Many parents choose to set up child maintenance themselves, as it can be the quickest and easiest way of arranging maintenance. This is often referred to as a family-based arrangement.
Whilst these types of arrangements are not legally enforceable, they are very flexible and they do not always have to be about money. For example, you could choose to include providing for clothes, school trips or childcare.
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 or someone acting on your behalf to put a family-based arrangement in place.
You will also find the Online calculator available which calculates an amount of maintenance that the Government would consider to be a reasonable amount.
If you find you’re not able to reach a family-based arrangement, you may wish to consider making an application to the Child Maintenance Service. They are the Government's statutory maintenance service and can either calculate your child maintenance, then leave you to arrange payments between yourselves, or they can collect payments and pass them on for you.
If you decide to ask the Child Maintenance Service to arrange your child maintenance for you in the future, your responsibility to pay will start from around the point that you're contacted by them, or you contact them.
There is also a further option known as the Consent Order (known as the Minute of Agreement in Scotland), which is an arrangement made and set up through the courts.
You may be interested to know that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) have a website, Sorting out Separation. It aims to make it much easier when you’re separated to find the support you need, when and where you need it on a range of concerns, including, money, housing, employment, legal and parenting apart. You can view the website at https://www.sortingoutseparation.org.uk/.
If you would like any further information about the Child Maintenance Service and the fees involved with this, and to receive a more personalised service, you can contact Child Maintenance Options directly.
Regards
William
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