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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Child support - mileage to school

6 replies

BalancingTree · 06/09/2023 22:06

My DD10 father and have have been separated since she was 1 year old.

the relationship between us since pregnancy has been awful.

we finally ended up in family court this year. In short, I submitted a claim for child support last year, the first time since she was born as the costs of raising a child are just getting unmanageable- she started pre-orthodontic treatment….

anyway his response to the CS Application was to unenrol her from school on her first day back after Christmas and try to enrol her in a different school, closer to him. Cue entry into family court…the first order confirms she should stay at her school

today I received a counter- child support application- he has applied for me to pay him child support to cover the cost of his mileage for taking her to school, and picking her up for contact.

the school is ten miles from his house and the court ordered changeover point is five miles.
he doesn’t have any overnight contact so essentially it’s a thirty mile round trip, once per week to pick her up from school, take her to his house and then back to the halfway changeover point, then drive back to his house after contact.

I know things get out of hand in court proceedings but is this even a thing?

am I being unreasonable to think this is the most outrageous request?

or do people cover the other party’s mileage for child contact?

we both work, he works part time so earns less money but not so little that he is claiming benefits of anything.

OP posts:
Zampa · 06/09/2023 22:09

It's perfectly legitimate for mileage to be taken into account when assessing maintenance payments but I think these to be above a certain level per week (maybe £10 but check the guidance).

Zampa · 06/09/2023 22:12

Yes, £10 a week

Child support - mileage to school
underneaththeash · 06/09/2023 22:13

Can you do a back payment claim? Otherwise just say you'll drop off and collect.

BalancingTree · 06/09/2023 22:18

We have a designated drop off pick up in court orders because of domestic violence.

im not against paying it if it’s the right thing to do, I just find it surprising that it would be considered given it’s such a short distance from where he actually lives…..

OP posts:
MintJulia · 06/09/2023 23:18

I can't imagine the court will take this seriously. Thirty miles in a week is at most, a gallon of petrol, currently £6.60 where I live. Add 50p for wear to tyres/brakes etc is £7.10.

My guess is the court will throw it out (and hopefully tell him not to waste court time).

TheNightTroll · 06/09/2023 23:19

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