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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Would you go to the CMS?

51 replies

MyTrivia · 31/10/2025 19:51

We have a 5 year old ds. Ex is a high earner but won’t tell me how much he earns. He gives me an amount of money which doesn’t cover everything. But if I ask him how much he earns, he won’t tell me and says it’s none of my business. He says he has to put a lot of his salary into a pension.

He then says that I should be grateful for what he gives me and that people only go to the CMS when the NRP refuses to pay anything.

The CMS would surely calculate what is fair? Even if I end up worse off at least I can see on paper how it’s supposed to be.

Do people often use the CMS or is it a vindictive thing to do as he says?

OP posts:
WellYouWereMythTaken · 01/11/2025 21:12

CakeIsNotAvailable · 01/11/2025 21:03

Going against the grain somewhat, if you're getting a reasonable sum, I would carry on as you are and not rock the boat. Rightly or wrongly, I know several mums who have ended up being really screwed over by going to CMS because their ex responded by reducing his income in various ways (perfectly legally - reducing from full to part time; taking a career break and living off their new wife's income; setting up a new business and not paying themselves for several years...). It's not right and it's not fair, but it happens and I wouldn't want it to happen to me.

This is a fair point. Depends if the ex is able to do this I suppose. And how vindictive he is. Don’t assume he wouldn’t be btw, just because he hasn’t yet. Money makes some people crazy and selfish. Even if it means their own children go without or less than.

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