Experiences of Child Maintenance when an ex stops making payments

[confusedandwingingit]

Can I ask what your experiences are with Child Maintenance please?
Ex Partner pays child maintenance when and if he feels like it. He's ignored all texts and correspondence related to this from Child Maintenance.

We haven't had a payment for the children in over two months. He has plenty of money, and is now reluctant to pay due to my daughter not wanting to go and see him as much anymore (he's just so manipulative and child like, 'trophy' daughter comes to mind!)

CM have said they are looking for bank accounts they can access, and if they have no luck with this they will start court proceedings.

Has anyone else had this happen? It's not even about the money for me, its about the principle that he should provide for 'his' children. He doesn't even speak to our eldest, her choice, and he has never actioned it either.

Thanks in advance

x

Yeah - they will chase him, threaten all sorts, do nothing. If he pays the odd tenner here and there then they will see that as good enough. They are not fit for purpose

Have they not offered collect and pay? And have it taken direct from his wage by his employer?

I bet he’s self employed!

They put an attachment of earnings on my ex husband’s wages years ago. It then changed to him agreeing to pay voluntarily but they warned him they would do it again if he didn’t pay and it would cost him £100 extra each time they did it! This will obviously only work if he has an employer and is not self employed.

I saw a Family Law solicitor saying that you can ask CMS for a variation for them to look at unearned income, lifestyle and hidden assets. Also the Financial Investigations Unit who can apparently dig into bank accounts, property and discrepancies and if their findings are serious enough it can cross into fraud. The solicitor is called Melanie Bridgen if you search her on Facebook.

I have one ex that pays by Attachment of Earnings and another that advertises his joinery business on Facebook but is dodgy so god knows how CMS haven’t got anything out of him. They filed a Liability Order against him which was successful, instructed bailiffs but still nothing. My son is 18 now so was told until I provided evidence of an address for him etc that was pretty much it, they don’t actively chase! He owes £10,000+ and that’s only from when it changed to CMS in 2012.

If he has a job then ask to be moved onto collect and pay. He won't like the extra 20% fee he has to pay then, but can't get out of it.

Thanks for the replies everyone!

Yeah he is indeed self employed! So makes it harder!