How much maintenance is reasonable in this situation?

[AFlurry]

One DD. With one parent 4 nights and the other 3.

Everything is split evenly in terms of costs for clothes, uniforms, school trips, activities. Parents either buy what is needed themselves or if one pays a big cost, the other will send them half the money, one parent pays for one activity, the other parent pays for the second etc...

School drop offs and pick ups are done by whichever parent has them that day, same with appointments and other things.

Relatives provide minimal amount of wrap around care if required and as child is in school, no childcare is needed.

Mostly contact stays 4/3 but occasionally will stay with the other parent 4 nights instead of 3 and does sometimes have tea at the parents they are with 3 nights on the other parents night due to work.

None?

I'd say no maintenance as it's almost 50/50

If the parent with 4 nights was also buying all extras, uniform etc then I'd say some maintenance was due. But it's more or less 50-50 and all costs are shared so I don't know why you'd bother tbh.

I'd say no maintenance especially if it's that fair and amicable

I’d say none but that the parent who does the 4 nights most regularly gets the child benefit

Depends really, although the child lives almost equally with both parents if one parent is earning a significant amount more than the other than I would have thought that they could pay more than 50%. So depends on earnings I think.

None.

Maybe if one was a massively high earner they may want to help but theres no legal, or moral, obligation

No maintenence at all, sounds like their child related outgoings are the same.

Incomes are fairly even, both self employed and comfortable earners. Neither is drastically higher than the other.

Well you would need to work out what the percentage is. If the parent that has them 3 nights, sometimes has them 4. It's going to be very close to 50:50 care.

If all other costs are shared, it seems like the parents are doing what they should and sorting it out between them.

What's the reason for wanting maintenance?

I agree with everyone else and no maintenance is due. The 4th night is an extra meal surely? It would be petty to charge for an extra meal once a week. There would be no other expenses than I can see.

None at all because both parents are covering childcare and the child’s necessities pretty much 50:50.

I would go with none as well as that arrangement is as 50/50 as you can get without ridged set day and time.

For the sake of goodwill and what sounds like an amicable situation I'd say none.

50:50

Thank you.

Fwiw I agree with none being payable, I just wanted to check others opinions.

50/50 No maintenance.

It sounds pretty fair as it is and like they (you?) have a pretty good relationship too. Unless one is struggling I wouldn’t be encouraging asking for anything extra.

I think there are a few other factors to consider here. Who is covering dc school holidays and who is providing the main away holiday? Who's relative is providing extra care (which is extra food as well as opportunity cost in terms of their own earnings)?

Who has the weekends versus week days (most cost at weekends)? Does one parent have more of the 'mental load' (doc appointments, school commitments, homework, organising clubs) which again is opportunity cost if both self employed?

And probably a load of other things I haven't thought of.

If all of the above is equal I wouldn't quibble over the extra day but that perhaps the 3 day parent can pick up more of the slack in school holidays to equal out the 52 extra days the 4 day parent has them, or offer ad hoc babysitting etc.

But I doubt it is completely equal I expect its one half of the family who's relatives help more and/or one parent who does more of the mental load. If that is the 4 day parent then I think there should be maintenance.

None and the one that does the extra night gets the child benefit.

Does either parent qualify for tax credit/universal credit

We did 50/50 childcare, but xh earned twice as much as me as I'd gone pt when children were younger. Was ft when we split but took a while to get earning back to the same level. We worked out what maintenance xh would have paid if I'd had the dcs, then what I'd have paid if he had them, and he paid me the difference. Bit convulted but worked for us

Check out CMS levels for the contact/salaries.