[Solved] My son stays with me 5 to 6 nights. Should I pay maintenance?

Who receives child benefit?

I’ve had a few disagreements lately with my ex re: money and aswell she didn’t want to go down the CMS route. Although I have pushed her in that direction.

Would you require financial support from the mother for looking after your child 5/6 days a week or is that not an issue?

It has been suggested that she should be paying me child maintenance. However, I am financially able to support my Son adequately so I wont be going down this route. The problem is that my ex appears to reply on my maintenance. The arrangement that we made 7 years ago was that I would continue to pay all her utility bills so gas / electricity, TV license, Water, Broadband / phone. She is unemployed & receives housing benefit / council tax support. She said if I reduced the child maintenance i.e stopped paying the bills she wouldn't be able to manage. Due to this she keeps nattering my Son to change his mind & go back to living with her 4 nights but my son has stood his ground & said he doesn't want that. Her boyfriend of only 4 months who currently lives there is also trying to make my son feel guilty by saying to him "you are really upsetting your mum" & "I moved out from my mum when I was 14 & I regret it now". My Son realises what they are trying to do & it just makes him more determined to keep the arrangement as it is.

I sometimes think that I may have to go down the legal route but she doesn't want this. Probably because of her boyfriends drug background & I don't think he should be living there while she claims single person benefits. Plus there was some shady stuff going on like a Cannabis grow in the top bedroom which was causing her to use twice as much electricity that I ended up paying for!

Her struggling for money when she basically gets everything paid for & hardly gets my son anything concerns me. Where is her money going?!

Who receives child benefit?

At the moment she does. In fact she phoned me last week crying asking me if she is still classed as the main carer because if not she will lose her benefits & wont be entitled to a 2 bed house from the council.

I was thinking of contacting Child Benefit & trying to claim although I don't need the money & he will be staying at his mums during the day through the school holidays so she would need some money to feed him etc.

So if your ex receives the child benefit the CMS will use that to determine who the "resident parent" is and in the absence of a court order will just take whatever she says as the truth... so it would depend on her level of honesty really if that avenue was explored.

However, if what you are saying is true about drugs, I personally would look to get a formal child arrangements order sorted via mediation if possible. At the age of 12 I believe that your son's wishes would be given quite a lot of weight.

So if your ex receives the child benefit the CMS will use that to determine who the "resident parent" is and in the absence of a court order will just take whatever she says as the truth... so it would depend on her level of honesty really if that avenue was explored.

However, if what you are saying is true about drugs, I personally would look to get a formal child arrangements order sorted via mediation if possible. At the age of 12 I believe that your son's wishes would be given quite a lot of weight.

She has already lied to Social Services telling them that he only stays at my house 3 days. However, when I spoke to them on the phone & explained they put me down on their system as the main carer. They also confirmed that the boyfriend is a known drug user & my ex admitted to them that he is on a methadone treatment plan. I have had reports from a neighbour that known drug dealers are visiting the property but these are just rumours. I do have a screenshot from my sons older sister telling me that her mum is spending £10 a day on cannabis & also borrowing money for it.

I have mentioned mediation to my ex & she accused me of threatening her & didn't want to involve anyone else so my feelings are that if I reduced the child maintenance she would either complain but accept it or try to bribe my son into going back & staying at hers more but luckily my son is strong & he has so far resisted any bribe or guilt trip. In fact it makes him more reluctant to stay at his mum's. I was thinking of contacting his school & informing them that he is now staying at mine 6 days therefore to put me down as the main carer.