REMO for maintenance claim.

[steaknife]

Hi, not been around in a while, but relations with ex have deteriorated so after some advice. Thanks in advance.
DD and I live in UK, her dad in France. Until now we've had an informal maintenance arrangement, its not been brilliant, be owes 3 months & has now stated he will withhold or only pay if I provide receipts for clothes etc.
I've asked lawyer to go through courts & use REMO (agency that enforces court orders across borders) I was wondering if anyone had done similar and how long it took?
Thanks.

[puzzlesum]

A friend of mine has. It was a very expensive process but I think worth it to her in the end, morally if not financially (bearing in mind her court costs v. the actual maintenance payments). It must have taken about 18 months all in.

The main practical problem, beyond the horrific expense, hassle of international conference calls and court attendances, was the cost of actually doing the money transfers, factoring in exchange rates and fees. When you get closer to a resolution I would research the best option for you (might be an account in France you only call on periodically or whatever) and see what your lawyer advises about getting the payment method and frequency included in the order. My friend's ex insisted on paying her in sterling cheques when she lives in a Scandinavian country. Very helpfull

[mumblechum1]

You can only use REMO once you have a court order, which at the moment you don't.

What's your lawyer advising about getting an order?

[steaknife]

Thanks Puzzlesum, sounds a nightmare, I'm on legal aid for divorce so hope that will cover it, if not I'm stuffed.

Mumblechum1, at the moment I've just passed emails to my lawyer and asked her to start a claim, so still waiting on her advice. Ex & I are just an different planets, never mind countries, with regard to responsibilities etc. Everything I say is wrong so thought it better to get the law to say it for me. IYSWIM.

[mumblechum1]

You're probably better off posting in Legal tbh. There's a good team of lawyers over there who will happily give free advice.

[steaknife]

Thanks Mumblechum1, I'll do that later, good to hear other's experience good & bad of the process too, especially after some of the horror stories I've heard about CSA.

[oldsingleparent]

I've had experience of REMO with ex in Dublin. It took about 3 years to go through London then the Irish courts and back to the family court in London to get a court order, with loads of letters in between.

I then recieved some of the owing maintenance, then the payments stopped. I went back to the REMO unit and was told I would have to pay £250 and start the process again. I'm rather suprised that this court judgement could not be enforced. A bit of a joke really, so I've not bothered to start again, my son will be an adult by then. So I have brought him up mainly on my own for 10 yrs with little financial support from his father.

Something should be done for payments to be enforced after it takes so long to process through REMO.

Sorry not what you want to hear.