Maintenance payment

[jubr75]

Has anyone else experienced this as well?

My ex has finally been paying maintenance for my child, albeit a small amount, for the last few months as I have had the CSA involved. Now the charges are coming into force he wants a family arrangement as he doesn't want to pay charges.

Firstly, am wary of this arrangement as he has stated he doesn't want to pay anyway and every time we have spoken about it he has become very aggressive (we split due to violence).

Secondly, he has been working "away" for the last few months which I have been led to believe has been paid outside of the UK tax system and therefore will only pay minimal amount out of his state pension.

Can I claim for maintenance from his current wages which is being paid from outside the UK? CSA informed me that they can only go by what the Inland Revenue tell them he is earning, so how can I count what he is actually earning? He has told me he is earning "obscene" amount of money but won't tell me how much and that he has now bought a house outright, a brand new car outright, going on lots of expensive holidays and has a new girlfriend forever! If he can afford all this, surely his children are entitled to something for their lives as well?

[UncrushedParsley]

This sounds horribly unfair I agree. Don't have much experience, but wanted to bump this for you. My XH has always paid maintenance by private arrangement, but paid the same for the last 3 years. I suggested a small rise in line with inflation, and he is now becoming more 'difficult' about it.... I don't know what the answer is, but ideally I think I (and you?) would have as little contact with the twunts as possible. When relationships have been abusive, these sort of things often seemed to be used as a way of controlling you, even though the relationship is technically over.

[STIDW]

Is he paid by a UK based company or one abroad? If he is working and living abroad the CSA/CMS may have no jurisdiction. That means you can apply for a court order for child maintenance instead which might not be a bad thing.