Has anyone done the REMO route for child maintenance?

[Legaldispair]

So my ex husband is suppose to pay child maintenance, paid the minimum for a few years and last year I noticed CMS were using old information to work out what he should pay me as his salary had trebled and they have never recalculated, to cut a long story short I have a hearing soon about this as he continued to dispute it and HE took it to tribunal. THEN on top of that he moved to New York… has always threatened it, and has paid nothing for a year as he ‘doesn’t know what he is supposed to pay as there are no rules’ due to the fact him and myself are both UK citizens. Not even paying a contribution amount and not even bothering to look into it so I have had no choice but to go down the REMO route. Those papers have only just gone off to then as it took 6 months just to get these papers (CMS were dicking around in the mean time and not helping with this) so he owes me aLOT of money in under payments which I know America won’t be interested in and he hasn’t paid me for a year… has anyone actually had any success with the Remo route? I’m slowly running out of any positivity. I can’t afford legal help so I’m on my own.

can anyone share this experiences with me please? Anything I need to know that they don’t tell you etc?

Following as in similar situations- ex was working for MOD in Saudis Arabia was paying cms until 1st December then I was told he was no longer required too I appealed and they said he is no longer lives in this country so doesn't have too but he hasn't since 2017
So why now ? Totally confused
Left without £750 per month and 3 kids
No way to contact him

At a loss as to what to do

That is strange. If he works for the government or a British company then CMS should still be able to collect the money. I would speak to the law center.

I'd be happy to take part but only if I can be anonymous, I don't want my ex or anyone connected to him seeing me!

Sent yet ANOTHER email to MEBC and received an automated response. Called Remo and they were unable to tell me anything. The lady I spoke to suggested I make a complaint, but when I asked for a name of a complaints handler she told me she wasn't allowed to give me that information! I am almost ready to give up! By the time my case goes anywhere my children will have grown up!! Feel like I am banging my head against a brick wall!

@Serrina Here is the link about the complaints process:
Complaints procedure - HM Courts & Tribunals Service - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

They are supposed to reply within 10 days. You have to be a dog with a bone when making a complaint to these guys as they are as lazy as.

@worstparent you could also use Single Parent Support and Advice Service Facebook group. They have family lawyers who may be able to help.

Has he left the MOD? Can you contact someone there? Have you contacted CMS? Have you looked on LinkedIn/Insta/Fbook, the usual places?

REMO does have private investigators to find men who have 'absconded', so if you made an application through them, then they are liable to find out where he is.

Has anyone used a good family lawyer in the UK who knows something about the REMO process?

Thanks @Sunchi I have raised a complaint. Let's see if they actually do anything! I've also got a meeting with my MP tomorrow so I'll discuss this with her.

Sorry no.

@Serrina I raised a complaint with my local family law court (before MEBCs) years ago and I got a very poor response. I took it as far as it could go with them. As nothing was resolved, and they thought they hadn't done anything 'wrong', I made a complaint to the Ombudsman. I also did the same with REMO. It was a long, painstaking process but after 18 months, the Ombudsman agreed with me on everything. That was 12 years ago, and very sadly I have to say, things seem even worse now than they did then.

However, I believe we have to keep holding them to account and I am so glad that you are. So, go for it. Some of us have requested FOIs and I will post on here what I received about HMCTS.

I hope you get somewhere with your MP. I know many of us don't, but some of us do. Let us know!

Apparently, the CMS is the most complained about organisation in the UK. I don't think REMO and the MEBC are far behind.

@Sunchi did you ever actually get any money through Remo? Sorry I know you've probably said already but my brain is frazzled!

@Serrina Yes, I did. My case was made legally binding after about 4 years (lots of maladministration with REMO and HMTCS), so could have got there 18 months earlier. My ex then reduced his pension payments (he was an early pensioner), so that he had no surplus to pay. It went to enforcement, still no payments until 10 years later. He is still paying now - divorce was in 2006 - as he has accrued so much debt. I am very grateful to myself for having stuck with it.

@Sunchi so the it could be 10 years before my children see a penny? This isn't good to know at all! My eldest is 9 next month. This means she'll be 19 before she sees anything from him, and my youngest will be 12.
This just seems to get worse and worse.

@Serrina No, not at all. This was my case. Everyone's is different. I've heard of many cases where parents have got their payments without any problem. However, getting a satisfactory outcome is never guaranteed.

I started my claim in 2019, then the London office closed had to restart not once but twice, ohh well look who emailed me lol my husband so he has actually been served with a court order in the usa mitchigan, I think he now gets 21 days to respond or go to the court for a hearing, like you all say I am not holding my breath on this. Good luck to you on your case

After filing my case 3 years ago I finally got my first payment though the court last week now waiting to see if I continue to recieve it each month keep going it can be successful x

@Cazza38 Great news! Let's hope he keeps paying.

@Serrina Would you be able to private message me on here to give me some details of your story as it'd be great to have a range of stories? I'll send you a private message now.

@Bluefields @mommatoone and anyone else here!

I have a contact from Hoi Polloi Pictures who is interested in doing a podcast or raising our profile in the media about our experiences with REMO/MEBC. In order to pitch his ideas he would like to hear from you.

If you are interested, please let me know the following:

1. your pseudonym (if you want to remain anonymous)
2. Your age (not sure if this is relevant, tbh)
3. A couple of short paragraphs about your story.

I think this would be a great opportunity to get our voices heard and I need you guys to give me your stories.

You can private message me on here if you don't want to put your story out publicly on this forum. Or you can email me on [email protected]. I volunteer for Single Parents Support and Advice Services and this is my email address.

There are no guarantees that his pitch will be accepted, but we have to try and he is willing to help us.

Please let me know as soon as possible, but no later than a week. Many, many thanks!

@Cazza38 what happens if he stops paying? Can any action be taken, if so, what?

Has anyone made a REMO order only for your ex to move back to the UK?

Hi @Legaldispair @Sunchi @Cazza38 I received an email today from the MEBC saying that they have received confirmation from Remo that my application has now been sent to the Central Authority for the USA for consideration. So now its just a waiting game I suppose? Anyone else have any updates?

@Serrina nothing to report other than iv had a nightmare because cms shut my case without giving me the exact amount ex owes me in under payments in the UK. I basically have had to do an affidavit with a spreadsheet of every payment he made, I also did a spread sheet of the payments he should have paid and the workings on there are a lot more than cms have said, nearly £30k! I’m holding zero hope. Nothing has happened with the US court, all I have been told this end is that they have found an address for my ex… so I have no idea what is going on. All I was told mbec would be in touch when they hear anything… but that isn’t a lot to be told or what happens next etc etc….

I've currently got my maintenance coming in through the ird in new zealand and can follow his payments to them but once they leave his country I can't trace it till it hits my back from the hmrc I've received 3 off the 4 payments he has made so far. And also after speaking to someone out in new zealand I did find out that I could have gone directly to them first to ask them to take maintaince from him as I had a csa case here and it would off only needed to go to court if he had refused to pay which he probably would have but it's useful to know that in some off the country's u can apply direct to who deals with there child maintenance xx

@Cazza38 hi there, this is really useful information, but as you say would work only if he agrees to pay. If he doesn't and let's face it most of them don't want to, and he wants to go to court, then in order to be represented in the NZ court you would need representation, which means going through REMO.

Brilliant as well that you got in touch with the Central Authority in New Zealand and that they answered your questions. It must be very reassuring to get answers. REMO are a disgrace right now with their lack of communication and accountability.

The Hague Convention states that 'we' shouldn't contact the foreign authority and that they are not obliged to answer our queries, but as REMO is soo poor at communicating then sometimes it's the only way. That's what I did and I'm very happy that I did that.

So happy to hear that you are getting somewhere with your claim!