Maintenance liabilities for 19 & 21 year old children

[Moanranger]

They are both in tertiary education. DD21 has loans & works & gets £250 mo (via my ltd company) from us, so indirectly. Rarely home.
DS lives at home, low fees at the moment, if he goes for a degree, then will get loans, etc like sister. STBXH makes much less than me & also "babies" DCs too much; e.g. Son ought to get a job, he won't push it. How liable am I given their age?

[colditz]

You're not. They are both adults and should self support.

[colditz]

19 and 21 tut tut .... There are mothers on mumsnet younger than that!!

[Moanranger]

Ah, so my STBXH is wrong again! Why am I not surprised?

[RedHelenB]

Surely you want to help them through uni though especially as you earn more than STBX?

[Quejica]

What does DD do to get £250 via your limited company?

[ihearsounds]

Why would you think that you would have to pay maintenance for adults? When does he think this should stop? When their 25, 50, until you retire/die?

[Moanranger]

She is training in the field & technically can help out, do research. The reality, not so much. This is one of the STBXH wheezes, & when all is sorted, will get knocked on the head. No workee, no money...

[titchy]

To the posters saying they're adults and there are parents younger than them (not quite sure if the relevance of that give that there are 12 year old parents....), you do realise that student loans do NOT pay full livin expenses - that these are mean tested against parental income, with the expectation that the parent will top up

[AgentProvocateur]

With two DC almost at uni, the expectation is that DH and I wi fund their maintenance at £9k each. This is means tested against our salaries, and although they can work to contribute towards this, we fully expect to pay that amount for four years per child when they are at uni.

[AgentProvocateur]

Sorry - just massively cross posted with titchy

[Moanranger]

Agent Slightly different situation, as we are divorcing & I need to know whether I am obliged to fund them. There is a shortfall for my daughter, but her wages & £250/mo covers that, & Istill see Top Shop bags!

[Moanranger]

Ihearsounds exactly my point!
RedHelen my situation is STBXH wants an agreed amount as part of the Consent Order. That is what I object to. I am happy to help.
At the moment DH has submitted a bill to me for DS which includes heating, in a flat STBXH lives in & other undocumented child expenses. I think he is trying to inflate DC costs to get more dosh out of me & partially subsidise his own lifestyle, while he dates!

[MisForMumNotMaid]

child maintenance liability stops when child leaves non-advanced education i.e. ALevels

[Collaborate]

Under the Children Act or Matrimonial Causes Act the court can order an absent patent to pay maintenance for a child in higher education, usually it's to the end of the first degree. Ignore it at your peril.

[Collaborate]

Make sure that the maintenance order is payable to a child direct when in higher education.

[CabbageLeaves]

The DC have their grant calculated based on the parent they live with. It may be that the parent has to top up (no law can force them to however)

As regards consent order - nil. Most stop when child leaves full time education.

[CabbageLeaves]

Oh! Sorry. I bow to previous poster and can you make my ex pay something!!!!

[Collaborate]

Yes Cabbageleaves.

[CabbageLeaves]

I have to say I bet you can't... Collaborate!

He went bankrupt and resigned rather than pay. Blood, stone and all that.