Child maintenance payments

[Edwardsp01]

Hi,
I’m going through a very bad divorce, currently waiting for a court date. I have 2 teenage children. I work part time, he doesn’t work. Can he claim maintenance payments from me through CMS? He says we will have kids 50/50.

No expert but 50:50 tends to mean not much is due to the 'resident parent' in any case, and if you claiming the child benefit and child tax credits/uc for you and the kids then you would be the one claiming from him anyway, rather than the other way round.

Do the kids want to be 50:50? My teens wouldn't.

But worried. I don’t earn much & still won’t when I have to go full time. We haven’t asked them but trying to get teenagers to split 50/50 I know won’t be easy. I think they should decide themselves but he thinks otherwise! We currently get child benefit/child/working tax credits as a couple. But I believe I will have go to universal credit & because we are selling the house I will probably end up with a small pot of money. My understanding is with universal credit if u have savings over £16k ( I won’t have much more than that) u don’t get anything? I understand why. However, with my salary, no maintenance from him & 2 teenagers that even if it is 50/50 custody, he never spends any money on them. so I will bear the brunt of most of their expenses. That money won’t last long. Frustrating that as a couple we got credits & have some saving, but when I’m a single mum I don’t because I have to move to UC.

Parents of two teenagers should both be working considerably more that you do. One part time job between two is never going to sustain you all - unless you expect the state to pick up most of the tab. To afford to run two households will be more expensive still.

You won't have to pay him maintenance and teens get to decide what they want for contact so if they don't want 50:50 then it won't even be a possibility of him trying to get maintenance anyway. Just make sure he doesn't try 'we each claim uc for one child' just as a way to make extra money (unless of course you are confident he will be doing 50:50 in terms of buying stuff etc)

For money from a house sale and also claiming your rent if you move out before selling, best to speak to citizens advice or similar but I think they do have special rules about it that let you claim for six months or so (vague on that so definitely get advice, but just don't assume you don't qualify is what I mean!)

I know, he got made redundant. I was a stay at home mum. Decided to get a job, having 3 at one point. He on the other hand has had a few but not stuck at them & now I’ve overheard him say it’s better that he doesn’t work in regards to the divorce settlement. I have every intention of working full time.

Thank u. I’m sure he will try & claim anything he can. Without going out & getting a job. Heard him also say about going back to be a student again. Whilst I will be working full time & I know paying most out of the 2 of us to support our children. He doesn’t even need to buy or rent somewhere, as his girlfriend has her own house. Sorry to rant but the men always seem to come out of these situations better than us & he was the one having the affair.