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Hi there,
My husband currently pays his ex £500 a month towards two children. Recently his son has been asking for a new pair of football boots as the ones he has are the ones my husband purchased (when we didn't pay as much maintenance) which are a year and a half old (he plays every weekend) He is 10 so growing very quickly!! His mum refuses to buy them and says the money your dad gives me pays for your uniforms that's it.
It's putting my husband in a very difficult situation as he simply cannot afford these added extras ontop of the regular maintenance. Should his football kit come out of the child maintenance he pays?
Hi there
Statutory Child Maintenance covers all expenses and any extra is purely discretionary.
I feel sorry for the poor child caught in the middle, regardless of the rules, his little boy has been told different and still needs football boots.
My grandson is 11 and needs 2-3 pairs a year as he grows out of them so quickly. Perhaps you can look on selling sites such as EBay where you’ll find some bargains.
All the best
Hello Nix101
If your husband has a family-based (mutual) arrangement in place at present, he and the other parent have the freedom to decide between themselves what is covered as part of their agreement. This is because these types of arrangements are non-legally binding, and so they do not have to stick to any set rules or guidelines, as long as they both agree.
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, your husband could negotiate on providing football shoes and other extras, in lieu of a fixed financial payment.
The Child Maintenance Options website has a variety of supporting tools and information available at http://www.cmoptions.org. These have been designed to support your husband, or someone acting on his behalf to discuss a family-based arrangement.
On the other hand, if your husband has a statutory child maintenance case set up with either the Child Support Agency (CSA) or the Child Maintenance Service, then under the current law, they cannot intervene in how child maintenance is spent. Therefore, your husband would only be legally responsible for the amount worked out by them, and would not be obliged to pay for anything extra.
If your husband would like further information about child maintenance, and to receive a more personalised service, he could consider contacting Child Maintenance Options directly for more support.
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 are 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/.
Regards
William
Hi There,
As Mojo has said the child maintenance is to cover all costs, which would include football boots, out of school activities and anything else.
The child maintenance is all that your partner legally has to pay, it doesn't stop him buying extra or giving extra if he can afford to, but if he can't afford it then there is no obligation to do so.
As said though when it comes to a child caught in the middle it's very difficult, you could as said look on facebook, ebay ect or could even ask around or put a note up at the football club for the right sized boots, I know my stepson plays rugby and we always had boots in the house that were too small for him.
GTTS
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