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So, my ex wife (UK Citizen and Resident) and I (Texas Resident) never had a formal agreement drafted for child support (or maintenance as the folks in the UK call it) as part of our divorce decree. This was drafted by her in the UK after we split up and she left Texas with our son and she did not have it added to the decree. At what point in time should this end with no formal agreement? Texas law is pretty clear in that it's 18 or the child graduates high school, whichever is later. My understanding is that he's finished his mandatory education in the UK (he's currently enrolled in the equivalent of Junior College in the states) and turned 18 in April of 2022. With no formal agreement in place, what's the proper procedure here?
hi,
You're normally expected to pay child maintenance until your child is 16, or until they're 20 if they're in school or college full-time studying for: A-levels. Highers, or. equivalent.
https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/family-and-care/divorce-and-separation/how-much-child-maintenance-should-i-pay#:~:text=Contacting%20the%20Child%20Maintenance%20Service&text=Yo u're%20normally%20expected%20to,equivalent.
child maintenance stops if child has started advanced education (university) and working towards a bachelors/masters degree etc.
@bill337 are you sure on this as the CSM wrote to me today asking for payment on University, and she hasnt even started yet. Would really value any advice from anyone as my kids dont even want to see me as they have been poisoned for many yrs..
@darnoc when you say they've asked you for payment on university, what do you mean? Once your child is at university, then payment doesn't continue beyond September of the year they start.
@actd Sorry thay have said i owe July and August then cease paying in Sept when Uni starts.
I guess I'm just annoyed because we split up when he was 20 months old and she went back to the UK with him. Maybe I'll wake up early and call the Child Maintenance Service myself regardless of the 6 hour time difference.
I would say that you are no longer obliged to pay maintenance - the best your ex could do is to open a case with CMS, but I have doubts they'd actually take that on as he is over 18 and you are in the states.
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