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Hi everyone
I am looking for some advice and any experiences others may have had.
When I separated from my ex wife, we agreed a certain amount of money which although high, I was ok with as I wanted to make sure that the kids didn't have any negative impact on their lifestyles because of the break up.
Anyway, the finalisation of the divorce etc was a pain in the backside, but to make it not drag on, we agreed a consent order etc and that is all done now.
I know from the CSA calculator that I am currently paying in the region of 2.5x the amount that I could.
She is remarrying later this year and I am now looking to reduce my payments - not to the CSA amount necessarily, but certainly substantially as it is really impacting my finances and as she is remarrying, I dont feel any need to subsidise the fact that he doesnt earn as much as me and I shouldnt be funding his and her lifestyle - my only responsibility is to the kids.
My question is, has anyone been in this position and what happened? What do I need to be wary of?
Thanks in advance, I really appreciate it
A court order for maintenance can be overruled by opening a CSA case, as long as the order has been in place for 12 months or more.
You would need to contact Child Maintenance Options and tell them you wish to open a case to pay maintenance through the CMS and they will give you a unique reference number that you will need when you contact the CMS to open the case.
I think it's reasonable not to want to pay 2.5 x more than you should, but she may spit her dummy out and try and stop contact or stop overnight stays to increase the amount she receives.
My personal opinion on this is that, assuming your children don't suffer as a result, when your ex remarries, you should reduce your payments down to the CMS calculation and put the rest into savings for when they are older. It would be difficult for your ex to argue that it's not for their benefit.
Thanks guys, I really appreciate your advice - pretty much what I was thinking myself but always good to hear what others may think π
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