child maintenance question

I think you just get them reassessed through the CSA.

Oh ok, I always assumed the CSA was for parents who don't pay and have to be chased.

No I think anyone can go through them as they calculate a fair amount. I think they take it direct from their pay? Not sure, H has a private agreement but I know he pays more than the CSA would demand he paid.

I'm lucky to get anything from my ex. You can ask the CSA to assess for you, but if you have a court order saying X% of wages you should be able to go back to the court if circumstances change.

With child maintenance you have two options:

1 - Go through the CSA and the amount you receive is directly related to the amount your OH is earning so if his salary goes up your payment goes up but conversely if their salary drops your payment drops. The amount you receive is typically set at 15% of their take home pay (for one child). If however they have the child for more than 52 nights a year this figure is reduced by 1/7 - there is a sliding scale for over 104 nights per year etc. Figures are also adjusted if they have another child living in their new household.

2 - Have your own private arrangement. In this scenario it is down to you and your ex to agree and determine the amount of child support paid. The standard CSA requriements are often used as a guide. If you are divorced it MAY in your divorce settlement set agreements for uplift to this figure for instance it might be linked on an annual basis to the current rate of inflation or the Retail Price Index.

It sounds like you have your own private arrangement and therefore it is down to you and your ex to determine the amount of child maintenace paid. You can choose to go through the CSA route but many people strongly suggest that you don't unless you really have to.

Exactly this.

I get nothing from my ex despite a case with the CSA, simply because he quits his job every time they catch up with him. It's happened 3 times so far ?

Thanks for the information. We did have an agreement as part of the divorce settlement so he pays a % of whatever his net income is, fortunately it has gone up and he has done the right thing by his son. I have heard a lot of negative things about the CSA so glad I dont need to go that route.

It's nice to hear a good story - from various forums I go on it feels like all the separated dads spend all their time avoiding payment and I'm sure that's not the case! FWIW, I have a similar arrangement with Boy1's dad - and it really does swing both ways. When I go promoted, it co-incided with him having a drop in income. So we had a chat and reduced what he paid.