Receiving child maintenance once child has gone to university ?

@FarmGirl78 I replied a couple of days ago giving an outline of the law and offered exactly the same help as you have, to take a look at the wording of the relevant part of the order (I am a family barrister). OP didn't reply. A bit of a shame when she has replied to many, many posts since arguing about the morality of receiving child maintenance/spousal maintenance, justifying her relationship with her ex and his new wife, etc. I can't help but feel she may be more interested in the drama her post generated than actually getting helpful advice from people who want to assist.

Can you post the exact wording? I volunteer as a Mackenzie Friend in Family Court and I'm pretty amiliar with the Children's Act so I can hopefully help. (2 fingers in advance to the poster repeatedly asking whether people are qualified to give advice!)

I think there's 2 things getting confused here. It may well be because your court order is from a while ago, so maintenance was dealt with as one whole rather than 2 separate issues.

There's spousal maintence, and child maintenance. The figure paid until 2028 you've said it's to support YOU. That's in essence to compensate you for giving up a career to bring up your Daughter, or look after the family home while your husband was working (it's possible for some women to get spousal support without having children if their husband wanted them to stop working and keep house for him instead upon marriage). That's a payment for YOU based on your loss of career, it's not to support your Daughter during the holidays unless that's specifically stated in the court order.

Is there separate mention of Child Maintenance? Or does it state it's part of the spousal maintence? If there's no reference to child maintenance whatsoever in your financial consent order then it would typically be in addition to the spousal maintence. Spousal maintence is for YOU, not your child. What exactly does your order say?

Do you have any other children?

The point about him being close to his daughter is that I think you need to just trust that he will ensure his daughter is well supported throughout university.

He has remarried and moved on. He has fulfilled his financial obligations to you throughout this time without any issue at all. So I reckon he will fulfil that obligation until such time as no longer required.

I would use the imminent extra free time you have to start carving out more of a life Op because your continuing bitterness and anger in palpable.

Your daughter will be absolutely fine in terms of financial support from her father. And the financially obligations laid out in any agreement will be adhered with. If that does mean he is able to pay his daughter directly, I imagine he will take that option. So it is then on your daughter to pay “rent” when home for the holidays.

OP my heartfelt sympathies for all the judgy bs being spouted here.

I have no idea of the legal ins and outs (not in UK) but to deny that your husband bears some responsibility for how much your incomes have diverged, and that he profited from your sacrificing your career by being able to maintain his own, is just daft.

And ffs no you don't in the least give the impression that you want to be a 'kept woman'. Such a stupid term to use of someone looking after a child with autism. What is wrong with people?

My daughter has high functioning autism, and it's been quite a ride. You have my respect for having got your daughter on track to university. I'm terribly nervous about mine going. I hope it all goes swimmingly for yours.

What would the grounds for a such a claim be presuming the father continues to pay (which all evidence indicates he will) but perhaps direct towards the DD rather than the OP?

If you scroll back you will see I put a link in. You can claim via the Children Act for maintenance through university. In these circumstances it seems likely to go through. Instead the focus is on her working.

I wonder whether a proportion of maintenance could still go to you during the hols?
Perhaps your ex could pay your daughter on a monthly basis and then she transfer some to you during the hols?
That's possibly too complicated, but ensures you have something extra coming in during the long uni hols to supplement your TA salary?

Or for simplicity, the dd just gives to her mother when home for the holidays

I’d suggest it goes to you when dc is home and dc when they are away but no they don’t have to pay it.

Your daughter must be close to him if she still stays with him 2 nights a week despite being 18

and he has paid you consistently and without any problem for years

so I would assume he will stick to whatever arrangement is in place until 2028 and IF that includes the possibility of paying his daughter direct, he will take that.

either way op, you won’t be losing out financially

It’s not just my opinion though is it… you actually said it was his problem (twice) 🤦‍♀️

lol, no.

It absolutely did not break guidelines though., there was no personal attack etc You just didn’t like it. And that’s fine. But I’d like Mn to be more consistent In their approach.

My DC received nothing at the age of 18, despite being in uni.