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Hey fellas.
i have a family based arrangement, and want to know if i'm being tight, standard, or overly generous in my payments, so any feedback would be welcomed.
I've two boys, 9 & 16. I see them both, the 9yo stays over 2-3 times a week, 16yo chooses not to stay over (which is fine). Cos they don't both stay over, when i use the GOV calculator, I choose the mid point between <1 night/week and 1-2 nights/week.
I have a child in my new household, but I kindly don't factor him into the GOV calculator, as that would make the calculated figure less.
Weekly wage is £938, and GOV calculates (using the mid point of the two ranges stated above) £135p/w, equalling £540 per month.
So the GOV says £540, then i make it up to £700 to cover swim club, a few investments and pocket monies etc.
I think this is very reasonable (considering we live in Newcastle, not London), but she thinks she should get another £100 per month!!!
I would love to know what you all think, so I can get an independent opinion. Currently dealing with a lot of guilt as it was me who instigated the split (with no other party involved at the time), so her telling me i'm not contributing to my boys properly is not helping at all.
Cheers - Geordie
Hello geordie606
It is good to hear you and your children’s mother have been able to set up a family-based arrangement between yourselves. As this type of agreement is not legally binding, there are no set rules to follow. Therefore, it is down to the two of you to agree on the amount that is payable.
The Online calculator, which can be found on Gov.uk and the Child Maintenance Options website, provides an estimation along the Government’s guidelines of the maintenance payable based on your gross taxable income (before tax and national insurance is deducted, but after any pension contributions), also taking into account any overnight contact your children have with you and any children residing within your household.
As you have indicated one of your children stays overnight with you, but the other does not, you may find page 27 of the Child Maintenance Service’s (the Government’s statutory maintenance service’s) “How we work out child maintenance” leaflet useful alongside the calculator. The link is https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/325219/how-we-work-out-child-maintenance.pdf.
As you have a family-based arrangement, it is down to you and your children’s mother to decide whether you contribute anything above the suggestion shown on the calculator.
If you find you are not able to renegotiate your 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 an application is made, paying the amount worked out by the Child Maintenance Service is your legal responsibility fulfilled. Any additional contributions would be voluntary.
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 you contact them or they contact you.
For a more personalised response and information on the charges involved for using the Child Maintenance Service, you may wish to contact Child Maintenance Options directly at http://www.cmoptions.org.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) have a website, 'Sorting out Separation'. It aims to make it much easier for separating and separated parents (and childless couples) to find the support they need, when and where they need it, and encourages them to collaborate on a range of issues. The link is https://www.sortingoutseparation.org.uk/.
Regards
William
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