Child Maintenance Payments - CSA or not CSA?

[HarrietSchulenberg]

I need to formalise the arrangements that almost ex-H and I have for child maintenance. We have reached a figure that we are both happy with, and it is slightly higher than that calculated by the CSA's online calculator.

If I apply to the CSA for maintenance, does the money HAVE to be collected through them then passed to me, or are we able to continue with the current arrangement whereby he pays me by standing order each month?

I need to have some kind of formal agreement in place to satisfy the mortgage company for the process of transfering the house to my name, and I thought that this might be the way to do it.

Anyone have any knowledge of this?

[acsec]

Hi,

My DP pays child maintainance through CSA. The money does HAVE to be collected through CSA each month and is put into her account. There is a standing order from his account into the CSA account then it goes out of there into her's.

It's worth doing if you think your ex won't honour a verbal agreement or if you need legal documentation.

[Harold3theWorld]

The Csa will take some money from the payments.
Would your mortgage company accept a letter from your ex or proof of the standing order?

[gillya]

You can do 'maintenance direct' through the CSA....they calculate the correct amount and then the NRP pays directly to the PWC through standing order or cheque (or cash but then no proof so probably not ideal). The payments do not have to go through the CSA system.

[ivykaty44]

The CSA do not yet take any payment for the handling of money.

[HarrietSchulenberg]

Thank you, and now that I have the term "maintenance direct" (thank you Gillya), I've found this which I've found rather useful.

[gillya]

That's a handy link, I will make a note of it too. Being maintenance direct means that if the NRP defaults on payments you are already in the system and they will chase things up (painfully slowly in my experience - but better than starting a claim from scratch), good luck x

[elastamum]

You dont have to use the CSA, just get your solicitors to add the agreed child support in to the financial settlement for your divorce. Get it approved by the court. It will then be binding for both parties, at least for a year after which either party can apply to the CSA for review