Can I just say that while you are comfortably off now you really DON'T know what's around the corner?
When I split from my ex it was initially tough financially but I was in good health and at that time had no reason to think I wouldn't in the near future be able to provide for her.
By the time she was 8 I was very unwell AND disabled (car accident - can happen to ANYONE) and unable to work.
ANYTHING can happen. Without warning.
Save the money by all means but be aware that your circumstances can change in an instant.
Back to op...
My ex was supposed to pay £60pw he paid erratically and unreliably, so much so that I never inc cm in my regular budget just as a 'bonus' whenever it did come in.
By that calculation (and that was from 15 years ago) he owes £1000's but it'll never get sorted.
To pp who mentioned - it doesn't get backdated (imo it should because these guys KNOW they owe it and the proof is in the existence of the child) only dated to when claimant first makes a claim - so op claim ASAP.
Cm depts do not use the sanctions they have available to use NEARLY enough! Took until my dd was 16 to get them to listen and do a DOE for us (he worked out their 'system' and whenever they were on the verge of doing this he'd make a single payment which meant they'd say 'oh well he's paying' took me years to get to I was working with a senior manager who looked at the FULL history to see that what I was saying about him playing their system was true and then the very next time he didn't pay (just 2 months later) he got the DOE in place. They don't listen to claimants PLUS it's ridiculous that you never get to speak to the same claim handler twice! They should look at the FULL history of the payee's actions! - actually I personally think the VERY first time they don't pay unless there's a damn good provable reason why not DOE should be done then. Actually it should be DOE from beginning - can't think of a reason why not).
Babyjake and others dealing with self employed exs - cms can investigate if they are living according to the means they CLAIM to have or are clearly earning more than they claim. You could also contact inland revenue and report you think they're not reporting their full taxable earnings (which is what cms look at for calculations - they're both in hmrc dept).
At one point my ex was claiming he was unemployed AND not claiming benefits (living off 2nd wife's earnings) but he's a bit thick/arrogant and I discovered he WAS working so told csa this and they were able to verify re income tax (in his case it was a regular job with a nationwide company who wouldn't not pay income tax) and then were able to do a new calculation (still had issues with irregular payment).
I believe they can't check this unless they have a report that he's working and lying ie they don't check everyone randomly, but as soon as someone tells them they are believed to be working they can request a check of tax records.
Lalalalyra - I too found it slightly easier when ex was still in army as it's frowned upon to behave like this and against regs to accumulate debt. But once he left it got much harder.
My ex is very well off and has a large detached house in an expensive part of the country, new car every year, latest tech, several holidays a year, yet begrudges dd any money for necessities and had no problem letting me use cm to cover travel costs when he was still deigning to see her. Currently he hasn't seen her for several years due to apathy on his part.
Postino - the reverse seems to be true now, too many men take a disgusting pride in how LITTLE they pay, how 'clever' they are in 'not paying that bitch ex anything' wilfully ignoring the fact the money is for THEIR children.
Not helped by the fact that there are too many women who are not only willing to turn a blind eye to their partner not paying cm but actually begrudge it if he does, as is often said on here - they are of the wrong impression that if/when he splits with them he will treat them exactly the same. There's been numerous threads by 2nd wives/partners bemoaning the fact their ex doesn't pay cm only for it to be revealed at some stage that he never paid their 1st wife/partner either and that this suited THEM perfectly well while they were with them. So hypocritical.
We need for cm to be MUCH better enforced AND for it to become socially unacceptable for nrps to do this. Nrps are usually men but I know of a few families where it's female nrps and they can be just as bad.
I agree - the lack of discussion, especially challenge is a big issue. I personally won't associate with anyone I know to not be paying not even as a friend and have challenged then friends on non payment - and that was even before I split from mine.
Stupomax we hear a lot in uk how the USA are generally more stringent than here. I wish it were stricter here. I bet if being arrested - especially at work
Tinysalmon - why do you begrudge your partners child the money? It's been decided by a court that's a fair amount, you say he's a high earner so it's not like he's missing out on anything as a result (and frankly even if he were that's what decent parents do for their DC)
Silvercuckoo - not sure if it's new since you last investigated but I was looking into the dividend side for another poster and they are or should be taken into account now.
Siblingrevelry - some of their subsequent partners resent the DC and the ex and feel the money should be spent on them/their life together - see it on here more often than you'd think.
My ex was telling his parents and now 2nd wife initially that he was paying me cm and told them a bonkers high amount too! When I learned they thought this to be the case I corrected their info with proof. At this point he still listened to them/cared what they thought. Gradually that's stopped. His 2nd wife, despite having been (unwittingly) ow has actually always been perfectly nice to me and dd. Even though he no longer sees dd she stays in touch and sends gifts/cards, but ultimately nice though that is, she is not responsible for dd. His parents are utterly ashamed of him and have had several fallings out with him about his behaviour to dd. His father (who was a divorcé when he met his mum with one from previous marriage) doesn't understand it at all. For his generation such behaviour would have been
shameful. He's almost 90.
Onedayy - on the contrary, some are very proud of having 'played the system' as they see it.