No financial support from dad

[SpottyBlueTeacup]

Hi,
I separated from my husband early in April and, so far, he has given nothing towards the school costs (bus, lunches, trips) and everyday living costs of the children. My eldest is going to the USA with school next year so I’m paying for that too plus clothes and opticians bills etc.
He inherited another property and has had it done up inside citing that he has no money to give towards the kids and that I ‘pocket the child benefit’ - the £140 goes on school dinners! I am paying for everything and they are still to stay over at his.
I am in the family home (mortgage free) but I will need to sell it and give him his half. He is keeping all of the inherited property so he will be mortgage free. I have to get another mortgage. I was wanting to rent for 6 months and tidy the family home up a bit (just a bit of paint) and put it in the market. I don’t fancy living in it (with 2 messy kids) and having estate agents asking for a viewing in an hour! Plus, if I rent it’ll make things easier for me to buy another house.
Trouble is, as he isn’t paying anything for the kids it’ll tight as I’d have to rent somewhere, pay bills on that, pay all the bills on the family home and pay all the costs for the kids!!
Can I do anything?

I was in exactly your position. You need to ask him for the CMS cash and if he won’t pay then put in a claim. It will be based on his income regardless of what yours is. It also isn’t backdated at all and he will just get away with that. Your solicitor should be telling you to make your own claim.

Any financial settlement is about splitting the joint pot. It doesn’t take into account who has the kids. I have the kids full time and still had to give my ex 55% of the pot - I’m the higher earner but not on megabucks. In return he pays a small amount of CMS cash - which he bitterly resents - and it’s a tiny fraction of what he got from me.

The law is grossly unfair. He won’t be liable to pay anything towards uni but what the PP said was right. If you’re on over £50k - not loads when supporting kids single-handed - then you’ll be expected to pay at least half your kid’s living costs. Your ex will get away with nothing. It utterly stinks.

I have funded all my DS’s uni living costs and will have to do the same for DD. This is what was promised to them by both parents before the split but their father reneged on that.

Their dad doesn’t see them at all. So many men do this. There are loads of crap dads out there just getting away with it while the mums are the ones holding it all together while disapproved of by certain elements in society.

Before my divorce I imagined that the parent looking after the kids got more of the pot. Not at all. Only if the parents is a SAHP with no other means. Working mums get clobbered. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

Thanks Feltflower. That’s very useful info.