To ask how much child maintenance you get?

[Ellen7262]

Just a rough figure. DD's dad contributed £40 a month for the first two months after we split and since then sweet fuck all. I have absolutely no clue how much a father should be paying for his child and no idea even where to start on getting him to pay.

He is NC with her, however his DM makes a big effort with her. If he's on a similar wage now to what he was at the time I was with him then he will be around the £40k mark.

Side note - I am financially comfortable even without payments from him, WIBU to claim if I don't technically need the money?

I haven't asked my stbxh for anything yet - and he hasn't offered - as I don't want to rock the boat until the divorce is settled (I'm getting a good deal). It'll be peanuts anyway as he's quite frankly a loser who's now cocklodging with another unfortunate woman.

I believe in the States it's taken directly from fathers' pay, does anyone know for sure?

@TinySalmon that is a lot, but obviously considered reasonable if calculated by the CMS

@OhDearGodLookAtThisMess
Yep purposely unemployed mine.

@lumpsat. It is £7 a week for unemployed My ex has failed to find a job in 10 years!

@Starlight345 bloody hell. Your poor kids!

OP you should keep whatever you get for her. Yes she might not 'need' it as a young adult, but she may not inherit anything when he dies if it goes to a new partner, so it might compensate for that

It's only £7 a month if they are getting job seekers or Income support.

If just unemployed and living off savings, mummy/daddy or a new partner, it's £0.

@Postino his current gf is pregnant, so I see your point.

I get £500pm. Exh has another older child and he pays the same for him. Exh is a fairly high earner and he pays more than the CMS recommended. He has DS 3/4 nights a month as he travels over the UK a fair bit with his job. The maintenance he pays me allows me to work PT so I can do the bulk of childcare. He also gives me extra for things like school uniform and if I have to take time off work (unpaid) due to DS being ill or something then he gives me the day's wages that I miss out on.

We have a very good relationship thankfully and I think he's a good father who does his bit. Ideally he would have more time with DS and I'd get less money but it's not always possible due to the nature of his work.

@BitchQueen90 he sounds like a great dad and you're very lucky that this enables you to work part time so you can have time with your DC!

@Ellen7262 I feel very lucky. I work school hours which is ideal. I often hold my exh up as an example of how other NRP dads should behave! My close friend has a 7yo and has received £200 in total from her ex since her DS was born.

£0.

I am lucky and get £1300k a month for two kids.

Ex salary about £75k so more than I should receive!

But wants kids to have a good standard of living.

I get £5 pw for my dc

I get £50 a week for twins.

£7 a week for one child

OP, this is a court order not CMS. CMS caps child maintenance at £1,000 a month per child, I think.

@TinySalmon, not sure why you feel that the court is wrong and your DH shouldn’t have to contribute to his ex and their child. I’m assuming the ex gave up work to look after their child and he was happy for her to do so. If this is the case then as far as I am concerned he has a responsibility towards her. Obviously the courts agree.

Absolutely appalling how many fathers are not held accountable for the upbringing of their dc. A man who doesn’t take responsibility for their dc are the lowest of the low in my book. And anyone playing the ‘poor me’ card about the amount they have to pay their ex immediately loses any respect I may have had for them.

Absolutely nothing. I've been buying school uniform this week and counting every penny...meanwhile he's in Las Vegas on his 4th holiday this year.

1000 a month for 4 kids across 2 fathers

600 for the first 3
400 for the last

Plus half of uniform, trips, clubs etc.

Never had a penny from DS’s dad and he’s been NC for years (DS’s choice, he figured out for himself what a twat his dad is)

DD’s Dad gives me £500 a month which we agreed amicably and has her 2 nights a week

Some men are just better dads and some are worse than useless unfortunately

£250 a month for 2 dc, he sees them eow

I get £6.43 a week for DS1, his dad works cash in hand and is on disability benefits. I've sent HMRC and CMS details of his work and also the DWP. They have done nothing about it. Sometimes I don't get a penny as he has taken out crisis loans etc and the government prioritise paying themselves back and not me. It's a disgrace.

My other 2 DS (different dad) I don't get anything by choice. We share custody and go halves on everything. My ex is always there for me or the kids and we never argue about money.

The CMS don’t cap maintenance as such, but if you earn more than £3000 per week, the courts decide what should be paid on a case by case basis. The maximum collected by CMS is almost £1300 per month for incomes of up to £3,000 per week.

I honestly think these sort of statistics should be taught at school. I read somewhere that the majority of non-resident fathers don't pay anything. If it was up to me I'd warn girls in advance that this can happen. And make it a very serious criminal offence not to pay