Thread: CSA/Maintenance Question?

My brother and his girlfriend have recently split up (she left the relationship) and they have an 18 month old child. Things are starting to turn not so amicable between them and the arguing over who pays what has started.

What I would like to know is....
if his son is with him half the week and her half the week does he still have to pay her maintenance as she seems to think she is entitled to £50 per week from him?
He currently buys whatever the child needs, she asks for clothes, food, toys and now she has asked for a cot, buggy etc! All these things he has in his house which HE paid for when they were together. (her name isnt on the mortgage as it was bought before they got together)
Now if he has all these thing in his house when he has his son does he have to provide her with these things? As he questioned this with her and she told him she is entitled to ask £50 a week from him!

Anyone with any info or personal experience would be much appreciated as he wants to sort it out as amicably as possible!
Thanks!

Similar Threads:

• Account Maintenance Charges
• Maintenance charges?
• Maintenance Charges
• BOS Charges (Maintenance)?
• Maintenance charges?

Oh dear - that old word "Amicable".

Obviously this can only be achieved if BOTH parties want it that way.

If she has left the property of her own free will then, as it's his property, she is only entitled to take with her those things which are HER property. However, I think that things like the Cot etc would be deemed the child's property.

Whilst I'm sure that there are some very very knowledgeable folks on this site I really think your son should go to a Solicitor as soon as possible. Not only to protect his property, as she may claim she has a beneficial interest, but because he needs to ensure any arrangements for the child are written in stone.

He can work out what he should be paying by going to the CSA website. It's fairly simple to work it out and takes into account how often the child is with him etc etc

CSA Homepage - Child Support Agency

From personal experience he will still have to pay even if the child is with him half the week/year.

Advise your son not to get into the "it's mine" argument, but to consult a solicitor asap. Yes, it will cost money, but it's obviously important to get it all sorted from a legal standpoint.

However, saying that, such things as buggies and toys can surely be shared? Obviously neither of them need these things when the child isn't with them! It's important to demonstrate that you are being "reasonable" and that would be a start.

I hope it all works out.

I also need some advice about the CSA and I am not quite sure who to ask! There doesnt seem to be any support groups out there at all. I dont know if any of you have ever had to deal with the CSA as the "non resident parent" but I have to say - its absolutely awful. When I say awful - I mean dreadful. I have been paying child support through mutual agreement between myself and my ex for the past 7 years. All of a sudden out of the blue I got a letter sent to my employer (then delivered to me from the HR department - how embrarssing) saying that I needed to fill out forms because my childs mother has filed a claim for them to collect child support. I called the CSA straight away and they told me that they had got details of my earnings from my employer and that they have already worked out my payments! She told me that I had to start paying tripple the amount that I have always paid. They were s rude. Wouldnt answer a single question about how they made the decision. Apparently the new legislation in 2003 says that its a flat 15% and they take into consideration no other circumstances, debt outgoings etc. Travel costs to get my child is expensive!!! When we first broke up my ex did goto the CSA and for a very shot while I was paying money through them - this was pre 2003 so it was assessed under the old rules. There guidelines say that they should use the old legislation if it is not a new case - my arguement is that it is not a new case!! as they did an assessment in 2002. Which my ex closed in 2003.

Furthermore the assessment that they have just done has been based on my last 2 wage slips...both of which has overtime on it (which is unsual as I never do overtime) so they have based the weekly rate on those earnings!!!

My ex has denied that I the child more than 50 day a year so I cant apply for shared care to claim a little reduction!!!

They now tell me that if I dont complete the Debit Debit mandate within 5 days they will do a datachement of earnings on my salary immediately.

I really dont know what to do!? There is no one who supports fathers!!!!!

JD i wish you all the best.
Last year i ended up quiting my job because CSA were slapping me for 40% of my income depsite having a disabled wife and her 2 children, yet they couldnt find their father!!

They wont take your living costs into consideration, BUT housing and council tax benefit will take into consideration that your paying the CSA & will offer you a reduction in C Tax

You mention about them wanting your partners income details, Now this is the hypocrytical part.......They will not include your ex's new partners income if she had one in there workings.

I found the best way to deal with the CSA is to go direct to your Local MP. Once he has stuck his/her nose in then your case will be moved to the Falkirk office, where i found them actually helpful (yes i know amazing)
again i wish you the best

The CSA, what a wonderful organisation...

They take 15% of your earnings, no consideration whatsoever is given to ANYTHING else, mortgage, rent, debts, nothing.

I used to put money through the door every week in an envelope, she told the CSA I didn't. CSA believed her and wanted extra from me to make up the money I was supposed to have not paid.

I refused to back down, I told them I would pack my job in, sell my property, I had over 100K of equity then, and move back to Ireland. I also showed them bank statements where I had taken exactly the amount I was giving her, from the ATM around the corner from her house. It took a few months, but they eventually backed down.

Then they wanted to change how often I paid them. At that time, I was paying every four weeks, their system couldn't cope, not my problem I told them.

Another battle ensued with me again refusing to back down, threatening to sell my flat, which by this time had 120K of equity, and packing my job in. They again backed down after another very protracted argument.

Through the CSA, I actually ended up paying less than I was by paying direct to boitch number one. They have a very hard job to do, but they do seem to take the mothers side every single time, which is grossly unfair.

And I also found the lack of support for guys in my position frightening. If you're in debt, sites like this are a godsend, but with the csa, there's very little support.

One other thing that used to really **** me off with the csa. They always seemed to go for the easy targets.

Two very close female friends supplied the details of their ex's to the CSA. They, to this day, have never acted on the info supplied, which included NI numbers, addresses, proof of earnings etc. I know, I used to help them type up the letters.

I know what you mean, my ex wanted 250 per month so i set it up as standing order, she wasnt too happy when i wanted reduced payments, so I contacted the csa, told i only had to pay £135 per month. yet i ended up gettin hit for 40% because the employer was not paying CSA. and ended up with a court summons! Great.
But the best bit was i found out last week that my son has not lived with her for over year! - So i wonder if they wanna pay me back them?? - i doubt it! LOL

oh well 2 years to go!! LOL

LMAO!
my wife was asked to go and find out the registration numbers of the vehicles her ex drives, they cant find him, 5 years he has avoided. Yet i cant see how they can miss him, we have given, Car details, employer details (including payroll number) even provided a copy of his entry on the registars poll, and they cant find him...more like cant be bothered...
oh well think this is going off track - time for bed......

Originally Posted by Jesteruk

LMAO!
my wife was asked to go and find out the registration numbers of the vehicles her ex drives, they cant find him, 5 years he has avoided. Yet i cant see how they can miss him, we have given, Car details, employer details (including payroll number) even provided a copy of his entry on the registars poll, and they cant find him...more like cant be bothered...
oh well think this is going off track - time for bed......

Heading for bed shortly myself, isn't night shift a killer.

You're right Jester about them not bothering, they had every piece of information possible, Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles could have found these guys, and they have been living at the same addresses for over 15 years, but the CSA couldn't for some unknown reason

Just one quick question.

How much of what we pay actually gets to our children through the CSA?

Anyone know????

All I know is that every penny I get goes straight to my children. When ex is not imitating a magician by doing a disapearing act, that is. From what I have read of what other PWC get, they are very lucky compared to what I receive. I see some getting hundreds a month - I wish!!

All I wanted was £15 a week, and that's all I requested when we seperated - I was willing to negotiate the figure. Seemingly that was too much to ask of him and he refused to pay it, he also refused to buy things instead - which is something else I tried to negotiate on so that at least then he could buy something for them know it was for them and approve of it. HE still refused to contribut towards their support in any shape, way or form so after a year I unleashed the CSA on him.

I have had to chase the CSA up a few times and do my own detective work but got there in the end. At least until he disappears again, or goes to prison whichever comes first.

As I said in another thread (http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk...w-prepare.html), don't hold your breath waiting for the CSA to do anything because you ask your MP to get involved.

It's been over 10 years since my MP was given an assurance that they would deal with the case as a matter of urgency!

It's looking like they are finally getting somewhere, after several montsh at the Falkirk office, and I'll then be back under the enforcement team as there are some very old arrears outstanding, so they say.

It's not always the mother's who get a rough deal!