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Hi there,
I'm a father and I pay my ex-partner maintenance for our daughter who will be 6 later on this year.
I pay the amount of maintenance that I do although I may not agree with how's it's worked out as in my opinion its against dad's !.
My issues with this service are as follows:
- if it's alright for them to work out the maintenance I pay for my daughter then why is it only my wages taken into account and not my ex-partners or her fellas ( as she has custody and our daughter lives with her, with between 5-7 nights a month at her dad's house. Bearing in mind it's 12% of my income.
- even though I pay the maintenance, my ex-partner hardly ever picks our daughter up from school, on the days I don't pick her up from school, it's usually my ex-partners sister or other family member who picks her up, and looks after her till about 5pm at night. This also includes feeding my daughter which I'm sure that why I pay my ex-partner the maintenance, for our daughters care ?
If she's not in the care of her mother then how come I still have to pay her the amount that I do ?
- I had a dispute with the cms with regards to how many nights I have my daughter, as when the cms was getting sorted out ( last December ), they sided with my ex-partner with the claim I had my daughter less than I actually did without an investigation in to this, how is this fair ?
Especially when I used to have our daughter on every day off work I ever got ?
- also, myself and my current partner recently had a daughter, now although the cms money has reduced, it has I my reduced by £19 a month,
How are the rates of child maintenance worked out ?, I have asked the cms for paperwork explaining this as it seems to me like they as saying I only need £19 a month for a baby, where as the rest goes to my ex-partner for the well being of my first daughter, how they justify their workings out ??
I've had no luck from talking with the cms with regards to any of these issues plus others too, I would appreciate any advice or information please as this is very demoralizing as a father, not to mention frustrating. Thanks.
Hi There,
I know it seems unfair the way that it is calculated, but there have to be rules, I'm not saying I agree with them all but if they had a system that could take everything into account then it just wouldn't work at all.
They work out what you pay as you know based on what you earn, if they were to take into account the amount your ex's partner earnt then they would then need to also look at how much your partner earns and add that to the calculation, would it be fair for your partner to effectively contribute to your childs mothers income, and would it also be fair for your ex's partner to substitute the money that you pay for your child.
I know it must feel unfair that your ex can live a comfortable life with her own income that of her partner and also what you pay, but no matter how the money is spent it's still your child living in your ex's house, whether she eats there or not, she still needs clothes and a roof over her head.
The reduction for your child that lives with you is low and I agree that it makes it seem as though the child with your ex needs more of your income than the one living with you, I don't know how they work that out if I'm honest.
I know this hasn't really helped and you may not agree with what I've written, it's just my spin on things.
GTTS
I may not agree with certain things you've said but still, thank you for your input as in just trying to understand all of this
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