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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Ex paying more maintenance so no longer feeding/entertaining our child?!

86 replies

TheresAlwaysAnAskHole · 10/09/2018 21:54

You may remember my previous posts about issues with my ex and I've had a lot of stick so it may ring bells!!

Me and ex fell out recently, a minor argument that went too far. He didnt want to sort things out and wanted no communication so I contacted CMS to ensure financial support was not withdrawn following this sudden breakdown of friendship. As he is due his second child it's been a concern he may stop our private agreement and I couldn't speak to him about my concerns s as he cut communication. I believed £80 a month we had previously agreed was accurate from his wages.

Following our argument, he suddenly wanted to sort out differences but actually had discovered that CMS was now involved and he was to go from £80 p/m to £260 p/m. I never expected that. I didn't stop the claim as I felt he was manipulating me and low and behold he hates me again for going ahead as he will not be able to continue taking our son to kickboxing, keeps his Xbox games pass or go for pizzas/cinema etc with our son anymore!

Unbeknownst to me, they pulled out that larger figure because he has a company car. He wanted me to stop the CMS case as it was taking too much due to the company car but refused to share contact details again with me, my opinion was 'he no longer wants to be friends therefore his financial problems are none of my business' and he needs to take the issue up with CMS.

He didn't pay anything or have regular contact for 8 years so he got off lightly for a longtime, I didn't chase him because we got on and I didn't want to cause him stress. It's a major guilt for me because he is expecting a baby with his wife this month but I never expected I'd been 'under paid' so much for four years so I didn't intend for more money. I've had people on here call me jealous and vindictive but it's never been about those things and only 4 weeks ago I'd have laughed if anyone had told me how bad our relationship would be now! I applied for mediation to sort this, and agree a maintenance arrangement but he has refused to take part.

I stopped feeling so bad when I realised my household income is half of his and we support two adults, a teen and a toddler on it. Him and his wife had double our income for just themselves for many years and yet paid me only £80 maintenance whilst enjoying foreign holidays, taking out a mortgage and an expensive wedding - all fine but how much of the money spent was rightfully for me/DS?!

So, last week when he called DS to arrange picking him up he said 'you will have to have tea as I can't afford to buy any now your Mum's gone to CMS and we will just be going to sit at Nanas house'.

DS is 15 so it's not as easy as going to the park or soft play but he just enjoys his Dad's company he's even happy to just be with him, sit at his house or go food shopping for example.

AIBU in thinking he is just being spiteful? Previously they would have gone for food and done something like the arcades or driven back to his house but he claims he is getting a new car and "it won't be as easy to fiddle the mileage".

I offered to pay for him and DS to continue kickboxing and he said 'it doesn't work like that'.

He sees him once a week for 3 hours and the old fortnightly one night sleepover (Friday 5pm until Saturday 2pm) arrangement is replaced with a Saturday 10 - 5 twice a month until 'the baby is in a routine', so a total of 26 hours per month. I'd allow more but ex has never wanted it.

OP posts:
BarbarianMum · 10/09/2018 22:04

God dont give him a minutes thought - he sounds like a total arse. Stick with the CMS and let your ds visit him if he wants to.

MadameButterface · 10/09/2018 22:08

oh I remember your previous thread op (have name changed)

he sounds like a complete twat, how DARE he badmouth you to your ds, that poor lad, I am heartbroken for him at this: "he just enjoys his Dad's company he's even happy to just be with him, sit at his house or go food shopping for example."

what a cunt, he doesn't deserve children.

GreenTulips · 10/09/2018 22:08

Seriously - not your problem!
Your son isn't 15 and your X has a cob on

Take the money
Don't engage

He's ruining his relationship with his child - your thoughts are irrelevant

Keep the texts

NewYearNewMe18 · 10/09/2018 22:11

I stopped feeling so bad when I realised my household income is half of his and we support two adults, a teen and a toddler on it. Him and his wife had double our income for just themselves for many years and yet paid me only £80 maintenance whilst enjoying foreign holidays, taking out a mortgage and an expensive wedding - all fine but how much of the money spent was rightfully for me/DS?!

TBH, you, your new partner, your new baby are none of his responsibility … and frankly as much as you hate him, he does have a new partner himself and a child on the way and he has every right to get married and create a home for his family.

I'm afraid its now down to you to fund all the extra curricular activities as your Ex can no longer afford it The only person losing out here is your mutual DS.

MadameButterface · 10/09/2018 22:13

oh come off it new year did you miss this part

I offered to pay for him and DS to continue kickboxing and he said 'it doesn't work like that'.

?

this isn't about a poverty stricken nrp being forced to cut back, this is a grown man taking a strop out on his child

TheresAlwaysAnAskHole · 10/09/2018 22:15

I will and have always happily funded DS extra curricular activities with a d without exes money. I married a good man who sacrificed having the latest technology etc. so DS could have it all.

Ex never paid for football coaching, swimming lessons (including private lessons to advance him when he was struggling - just with basics), after school clubs etc. The kickboxing only started this summer and they only went about 5 times, half of which I was voluntarily paying for DS to help ex out Shock

OP posts:
lowtide · 10/09/2018 22:15

@NewYearNewMe18
Are you the ops ex??!!
He paid £80 when he should have been paying 260 for 8 years!!!????????
He’s an epic cunt.

Excited0803 · 10/09/2018 22:16

It doesn't sound like there's much contact time, so can DS not do kickboxing on a different day? He's a teenager, it's time he found out what his dad is like, so now he will.

Clutterbugsmum · 10/09/2018 22:17

Take the money, use it pay for your DS kickboxing so he can continue.

Let your ds who is 15 arrange when and where he see his dad, his dad will unfortunately drive a wedge between them and then your Ex will complain he has no relationship with his son.

Fishface77 · 10/09/2018 22:17

Well op he didn’t give a fuck when he was paying you £80 p/m so why would you give a shit now?
Your son will see him for what he is.
And as Newyear says he has the right to create a new life for himself it’s just a shame it has been at the expense of your DS all these years. He hasn’t paid full maintenance for years has he?

Alpacanorange · 10/09/2018 22:18

He is being a major cuntychops. Let him eat his own shit.

Singlenotsingle · 10/09/2018 22:18

Send DS with a packed lunch? Just to make a point.

TheresAlwaysAnAskHole · 10/09/2018 22:20

@lowtide

I don't think it would have been £260 for the whole 8 years he didn't pay as he had less well paid jobs and paid no maintenance due to me not pushing for it. But certainly for the past 5 years he has held the jobs with a company car and only paid maintenance these past 4 years - we split 12 years ago.

OP posts:
Clutterbugsmum · 10/09/2018 22:20

I will and have always happily funded DS extra curricular activities with a d without exes money. I married a good man who sacrificed having the latest technology etc. so DS could have it all.

And your son will know this and this is why he will stop seeing his dad at some point because he knows you and his stepdad will make sure he has everything he needs whereas his dad will do nothing for him, even the bare basic of providing food for him.

lowtide · 10/09/2018 22:21

Op that update was I guess supposed to paint him in a better light.
But actually it makes him sound worse. Why the fuck are you sticking up for him

TheresAlwaysAnAskHole · 10/09/2018 22:22

He did have jobs previous to 5 years ago, minimum wage style jobs so maintenance I expect would have been pittance and I believe he had money problems hence I didn't want to make them worse.

OP posts:
TheresAlwaysAnAskHole · 10/09/2018 22:24

@lowtide

I'm not at all sticking up for him, he is a decent person but lacks as a father. I only added that information as I wouldn't want to be accused of being selective in the information I share.

OP posts:
lowtide · 10/09/2018 22:25

How is he a decent person? What exactly is decent about him - genuine question

MadameButterface · 10/09/2018 22:25

well at least you finally properly know

if he ever comes to his senses and remembers his other child, and tries to be all pally pally with you again, these people are NOT your friends and you don't have to cross the road to piss on them if they were on fire

waste man

TheresAlwaysAnAskHole · 10/09/2018 22:28

@Clutterbugsmum

I think he knows. He thinks the situation is "stupid" and doesn't understand why his Dad won't talk and sort things out. He doesn't want to rock the boat with his Dad though, I suspect because he is worried his Dad will withdraw contact which breaks my heart, he should never feel that way. Ex had even suggested withdrawing contact as a 'punishment' for bad behaviour in the past and we had to say "absolutely not!". Hopefully those who have seen my previous thread will now begin to understand why I have fought so much - we had to push for the contact that exists now and still the original argument came from DS being with them for an unexpected hour
after kickboxing when they were waiting to eat.

OP posts:
Sausagerollers · 10/09/2018 22:29

Not only is he an absolute bastard for not contributing to his DC's upbringing for a decade (and then only paying less than £20 a week, when he could have easily afforded more)
His wife is an absolute idiot to have a DC with him.
Who on earth looks at a man who has walked away from his DC without a 2nd look, and happily made no financial contribution for years and thinks "oh yes, that's a great father for my future offspring"???

MadameButterface · 10/09/2018 22:31

the same women with low self esteem and poor standards who fall for the 'my psycho bitch ex' narrative sadly Sausage

eelbecomingforyou · 10/09/2018 22:32

Nope, he’s not a decent father at all. What a tight, selfish arse.

TheresAlwaysAnAskHole · 10/09/2018 22:33

@lowtide

Wow never really thought of it before and you did stump me with that question! He's faithful I think, takes his job seriously, has a good sense of humour and doesn't tend to break the law so he's not a complete nob!

I think he is selfish and a bit 'woe is me' and his wife plays into that. I definitely think he's told her different versions of things over time, maybe not admitting when he's come in and chatted for ages if she's had his tea waiting or something (just guessing) and then slating us with/too her whilst being super chummy with us.

OP posts:
Babyroobs · 10/09/2018 22:34

He sounds awful - I would get every penny I could out of him.

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