How can I find out if my ex is working?

[beelola]

Just that really! History of ex fiddling finances to avoid paying tax and child maintenance and I've got my suspicions that he's got some sort of work at the moment. Can I find out before making a CMS claim?

[beelola]

Anyone?

[unicornsarereal72]

Is he likely to go self employed. I googled my ex and he has set himself up as a ltd company. I need to sit it out until he does a years tax returns to hopefully be able to follow up on.

[beelola]

His usual tactic is to work completely cash in hand but that's all dried up due to Coronavirus (karma) so he's supposedly been earning nothing for months and claiming UC.

[unicornsarereal72]

Feel for you. These men don't deserve their kids.

[beelola]

It's definitely a weird way to treat your kids! If I put in a CMS claim and he isn't working, can I have it reviewed X amount of time later to see if he's working then? Can it be backdated from the initial claim being made?

[HardToDanceWithTheDevilOnYourB]

They usually review it annually anyway.

But unfortunately men who don't want to pay simply won't pay.

My best friend didn't get a penny out of he DS's dad for years, even when they took him to court, he ignored the court orders, it went back to court several times and even when they did attachment of earnings she still got nothing because he simply quit his job so they couldn't take it.

Another dad I know went self employed and paid himself in dividends so... no maint as dividends don't count. He goes on 5 holidays abroad a year and lives in a 2m house but maint is calculated at zero lol.

If you already know he's not going to pay and prepared to illegally work cash in hand I wouldn't even bother, you'll just give him the satisfaction and thrill of getting away with it.

[beelola]

It's not the money, it's the principle. He will contribute but it's such a small amount that it's offensive anyway. He's definitely not got the brain power to go properly self-employed or pay himself dividends, it's just simple cash in hand and that's why he's had nothing other than UC coming in. Although I'm surprised that UC don't question why a man that's not had any registered income for years suddenly needs UC!