My partner's children live with us and see their Mother alternate weekends.
We have the final hearing in a few weeks. She wants increased contact (or residency - sigh!) and we are fairly confident that she won't get more than the midweek for tea contact he's offered her already but which she has declined.
We are struggling financially as she refuses to pay maintenance or help with any costs for things such as uniforms, activities, school trips etc. He hasn't raised finances at all at any hearing so far but would like to at the next one.
CSA can't help us as she is self employed for an unregistered business and doesn't pay any tax she denies working at all claiming she is unemployed. She told CSA (they told us) that she lives off family handouts and savings but said she won't spare any for the children. She rents a nice house, goes out lots and has a nice car, she lives alone.
There's likely to be quite a few provisions made within the final Court Order. She is already prohibited from attending our address and it is likely (we hope) that other provisions such as her agreeing not to leave the children home alone and her agreeing not to hit the children will be added. Can the Judge make any order that she must contribute financially to the children? Or even that she must cover 50% of the costs of clothes/uniform/school trips/school lunches etc?
The biggest joke is that she is using the fact he works and therefor not always here for the children personally to try and get a greater share of residency. He has to work because she, the non resident parent, refuses to pay maintenance to help support them as she "claims" not to be working.
What do you think he can/can't say at Court about finances? Will the Judge care at all that she refuses to pay maintenance and hasn't for over a year now.
Thanks.