Maintenance payments

[Allocate]

I’ve been advised to request 3 months payslip annually from my ex, after a very acrimonious divorce where he made it quite clear he cannot be trusted.

He does a job that recently received a bonus and months after, it took for me to mention this for him for him to increase his child maintenance each month.

However I suspect it's not an accurate increase. I was therefore advised to threaten using CMS which would add 10% to his current monthly costs if he doesn't show his wage slips annually.

Is this normal to have to do? I don't like being so intrusive as money matters feel very private and I am no longer privy to his financial affairs, yet times are very hard and I need the max help financially we can get.

I wondered what everyone else does, and in particular those who have been through acrimonious divorce.

Who told you to make that demand? It would be more normal to get a P60 and if CMS get involved they would only charge him 20% extra (not 10%) if he wasn't paying and they had to collect it. So the information you have doesn't sound quite right.

I actually meant 20%, and it's 4% off my end.

So an annual p60 is fair to request then? That's good to know, thank you .

Does anyone actually request it, or receive it, I wonder.

To be honest CMS can access it so you don't even need to. Solves the intrusion problem.

And you only have to pay if CMS also has to collect and pay. If they just have to set the amount they don't charge.

You dont need his wage slips, just go through the CMS, he might not want you to see all his outgoings which is fair enough.
CMS don’t request wage slips either from him, they go directly to the HMRC.

there are two options with CMS , one where he pays you directly with a figure worked out by CMS, if he fails to make payments you can request to move to direct pay, this is where the extra % are that you mentioned. This comes directly from his wage slip.

I don’t think it’s a fair request re the P60, let cms do it!

If there isn’t enough trust for him to tell you how much he earns then go through cms ..

they review his payments annually

Just go to CMS. Initially it doesn't cost extra if you choose direct pay. They work out how much to pay based on his income from Hmrc.

If he fails to pay, you then have the option for them to collect and then there's extra to pay.

Oh and ironically, it was cms that told him that he didn't have to give me any payslips/P60/income information but the cms put the figure in their letter to me

Thank you. This has been very helpful indeed. I could have made a complete fool of myself and stirred a hornets nest which I have absolutely no interest in doing!

You've been of great assistance to me, much appreciated

I would just use cms and leave them to sort it and one less thing for your to have to ‘argue’ with the ex abojt

Also be careful with P60's there are companies that will make you one showing whatever information you want. Stick with the CMS they go off HMRC data.

100% do this AND DO NOT FEEL GUILTY!!! It’s not just for you but your child/ren. My DB is a weekend dad and earns good money yet pays pennies over the month. Our kids are same sort of age so I know exactly how much is needed on basics and I’m discussed. Men get bonuses or paid under the table think they’re clever, they’re not there stealing food from there kids go through CMS and get everything done correctly.