Child maintenance question

[gracehedley]

My son left 6th form in April. He is 18. He is not in education at the moment and therefore his father has stopped paying maintenance to me. Son is planning on going to college in September to study A levels (again ), so still in secondary education. Will his father be obliged to resume paying maintenance when he returns to college through CMEC rules, does anyone know? Thanks!

Until his 19th birthday. If you want it to carry on after that, your son must apply to court for a maintenance order under the Children Act.

Thank you. So he would have to apply himself?

Yes. Best to apply now. Order can be backdated but only back to the date the application was issued.

If your son has his college place confirmed then i think you can just phone csa and ask them to continue the maintenance .

He is not 19 until next March though. The CSA were never involved so I suppose it means a whole new application, unless his father voluntarily offers to pay? Aaaarrgghhhhh ....