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?

@Okapimum This is brilliant advice. I raised complaints myself years ago and when I didn't get satisfactory answers, took it further.

I'm interested in your complaint to the Spanish authorities. Where did you send this complaint to?

@Cazza38 the NZ authorities are responsible for processing your order. If your ex still refuses to pay, the NZ authorities will surely take it further, either through an enforcement agency, through pay, etc.

I emailed the Spanish Central Authority for International Legal Cooperation ([email protected]). They said they requested an update from the Abogacía del Estado, and that they would inform REMO once they receive an update. I emailed the Abogacía del Estado too, twice, no reply (in my case, it is the one in Barcelona, [email protected]).

@Cazza38 I don't think that number works anymore, I think they've closed their phone lines

The mebc have closed there phone lines but I spoke to the remo office on that number on Friday

@Okapimum I like the fact that you're taking so much action. It's good to hear. Keep posting your results. At the same time, it's frustrating for me to read that so many women are coming up against the same barriers I experienced with the REMO system. In fact, I think it's harder today than it was when I first started my application. The only thing that seems easier is that there is now so much information available about how other countries deal with child maintenance issues.

So I have been asked to resupply my bank details so that international payments can be made directly to me although I've still not been told who by and when to start expecting them but I'm guessing that the process is in swing now. I've recieved the court case notes and it isn't clear from the either and I've not heard anything back from the formal complaint I put in at the end off October so I guess I'll wait and see what happens

But how did you get through?

I rang the remo office not the mebc and spoke to someone in the remo team as mebc wasn't replying to me

Ok I'm confused because the remo office number hasn't been working for me either. I haven't been able to get through on that number since summer.

My ex living in Ontario and Ontario court withdrawn the case knowing that CMS case in U.K. is closed and he is not living here.

I have no words

@Mummyofj On what grounds have they withdrawn the case? Did you get notification of this through REMO?

That information is from REMO

Thank you for the response. As I understand the response below, the UK order dated 11 February 2020 is not the most recent UK child support document and has been modified or set aside by the subsequent UK Child Maintenance Service documents. As a result, Ontario’s Interjurisdictional Support Orders Unit, Family Responsibility Office will withdraw its request to register the UK order dated 11 February 2020 from the Superior Court of Justice Family at Hamilton, Ontario prior to the return date of November 29, 2023. If there is a court order or administrative child support order that is enforceable in UK that you wish to register for enforcement in Ontario, please send a certified copy of same to the Interjurisdictional Support Orders Unit’.

He is not living in uke from 2019.

@Mummyofj is he a UK citizen? Or is he Canadian?

He has UK citizenship as well as Polish and he married Canadian women to get there

Suggest you get a confirmation from CSM that there is no child support being paid by the father in the UK and that the case is closed there.

It's not closed that's the point but REMO said is probably after asking Mr father.

I have no such amount to put case in Canada by my own what REMO suggested. As well no power and mental health to start in UK. I am facing eviction in 15 days being full time working engineering teacher - laugh.

I understand it is hard, but just try to get the document from CSM and send it that to them. Maybe contact them directly and explain your situation and ask for a some additional time in order to respond. But please don't give up.

@Bluefields Agree. It is so very hard to do this on your own and trying to work at the same time. Don't give up until you've tried everything.

We need an organisation for mothers to deal with this so we can share are experiences. There must be so many parents trying to navigate this on their own. It's heartbreaking, but we must find a way to break this down these barriers because children and the present parent are suffering abd it has to stop.

@Bluefields it really is. Its impossible to even get any legal advice or representation on this issue. Citizens advice and the Law Centres won't touch it. Most solicitors won't either, I was amazed to find out how many solicitors aren't even aware of this process. And the few who are charge an extortionate fee which we just can't afford. So we end up having to navigate the process ourselves with no help. It's a complete joke.

@Bluefields @Serrina @Okapimum I have been given the opportunity to speak to an ALL Party Parliamentary Group about REMO on Wednesday 6th December. I have been given 7 minutes to talk.

I would be very happy to hear from anyone who would like to give me a summary of their experiences.

For example:

1. How long it took from application to receiving child maintenance
2. Which country you are talking about
3. Did your ex pay willingly, or did it go to enforcement. If so how was it enforced?
4. If you didn't receive any money, why not.
5. Which year did you apply?

About REMO:

1. Communication - what are your thoughts on how they communicate.
2. How can this service be improved?
3. Anything else you would like me to say.

You can send me a private message.

@Bluefields With regards to legal advice, yes I agree with you. Solicitors know nothing and they told me I knew more than them. As soon as you mention the word abroad, they won't touch it. It was exactly the same in Sweden. It's too difficult for them.

@Serrina sorry, got the wrong person in the thread!

@Bluefields yes, I agree that we should have some sort of group to support one another. I started a Facebook group, but it really hasn't taken off as I'd liked it to have done. As we are all seeking child maintenance from ex-partners who live in different countries, I think some sort of website would be better where there would be different sections for different countries.