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Original poster

How much does he earn?

26 replies

slowlycatchymonkey · 28/01/2013 12:01

My ex has unilaterally reduced my dd's maintenance from £200 to 100pcm. No discussion, he just did it. He owns his own business and says that is what the CSA calculator said when he entered his figures. He has a new baby with his wife and a step child. He is a homeowner and now dd tells me they've just bought a second home.

Can anyone tell me how much his salary would be if the CSA tell him he only needs to pay 100quid? (taking into account his other children)?

TIA

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Original poster
slowlycatchymonkey · 28/01/2013 12:01

Ps- he has dd 2 nights pw and half of all holidays.

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Vickibee · 28/01/2013 12:04

I believe it is 15 % of income for one child, so 100pm would be equiv to £667 in wages - sound low. Not sure about his other children

Vickibee · 28/01/2013 12:06

If he owns the business it is easy to manipulate stuff, eg he may reduce his own salary and put his partner down as an employee and pay her more which will not be taken into account for maintenance

OptimisticPessimist · 28/01/2013 12:08

Calculator here

How many other children does he have and do they live with him? I think you'll just need to put his details in and experiment with some incomes until you get it to come out at £100.

bunchamunchycrunchycarrots · 28/01/2013 12:37

I fiddled about with the figures but if he has your DD 2 nights, with 2 children residing with him, you'd receive about £26 per week if he declared his earnings to be £300 per week net. So he's claiming to earn just under £300 per week.

Original poster
slowlycatchymonkey · 28/01/2013 13:13

Thanks everyone.

If he is earning 1400 quid a month and able to live in a 5 bed house with a full time nanny and a second home, then I'm Mary Poppins.

God this makes me SO mad. There isn't anything I can do is there? How can his wife be happy to advocate this? What is wrong with some people:/

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Original poster
slowlycatchymonkey · 28/01/2013 13:15

His wife works full time in a public sector job so I doubt he has her down as an employee otherwise she would be taxed to the high heavens. It's more likely that he has cooked his books to offset everything as expenses, right down to the fucking toilet roll he uses to wipe his smug ass.

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Peterpan101 · 28/01/2013 14:48

As another poster said, self employed people who have declared themselves a limited company can be very artistic with their earnings for tax/maintenance use.

Worst case he could pay his new partner a full salary up to just under 40% limit, himself £6k a year. The remainder of the company profits would come out as dividends (to him and all his share owners) or be put back into the company (to come out as expenses food, travel, etc).

He could then try to have CM estimated on the £6k.....don't think you want to see how much he might get away with paying then!!

Be polite.....try and appeal to his better nature.

Peterpan101 · 28/01/2013 14:49

Oh.....you beat me to it!!

Original poster
slowlycatchymonkey · 28/01/2013 15:00

Peter thanks for that. There is no 'better nature' that I can appeal to unfortunately. Anyone who abuses the system to dodge paying for their kids is a scum bag in my opinion. He may not live the life of Riley but he does not maintain the lifestyle he has on 300 quid a week. No chance. His argument is that he has been paying more up until now and he 'didnt have to' according to the system. Thankfully I have a partner who is more than willing to pick up his slack so he can rest easy at night knowing another man is paying for his kid.

Confused
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lix75 · 28/01/2013 16:11

"Anyone who abuses the system to dodge paying for their kids is a scum bag in my opinion."

Thanks for posting this. You are so right...

My recent ex is single, no kids, makes 55K p.a. base, another 5K p.a. in transportation allowance, and 5k annual bonus (this one is not guaranteed). He's debt free and has huge savings so no money issues.

I did the math on the base salary only (after excluding the pension he pays), and proposed to him the the min amount - 15% of that.

He decided to do £100 less than that, on the basis that "even that it's too much, others aren't paying anything". And he's seeing her once a week (if that), currently no overnights.

I haven't contacted CSA but now I'm thinking about it... what have I got to lose? I'm struggling with money and I'm not a big spender at all. I'm working FT time paying afterschool fees a fortune (London rates), and I have to cover all her school holidays too. No benefits except child benefit, as I'm just at the income threshold.

betterthanever · 28/01/2013 17:09

My ex claims to have zero income yet has a morgage and a car on finance. The CSA say he has a `right to be believed' it's a joke.

Original poster
slowlycatchymonkey · 28/01/2013 18:13

A right to be believed? Can't believe a professional would say that- what a joke.

I doubt I will chase him through the CSA. If he wants to go to those lengths to avoid supporting his child, let him. What a pity he begrudges her so much :/

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fruitloops3 · 28/01/2013 19:46

Contact CSA OP. The only other option would be to appeal to his better nature, but you've already stated this won't work (scumbag) so let it be taken out of your hands and see what the CSA can do. Like you said, what have you got to lose.

You can report to the CSA that his lifestyle doesn't tally up with what he is claiming his self employed earnings are, things like flash cars, second homes etc. They will often look into it and investigate, but don't hold your breath.

betterthanever · 28/01/2013 20:05

To be fair they did look into things about 18 months ago made a mandatory payment schedule and got a liability order. He got back on to benefits they didn't enforce the liability order and moved the case to benefits so I would get the £5 a week which I did for a couple of months. He has now been off the benefits for over five months and I got the right to be believed line which I have googled and it seems to be a stock line. I am seeing my MP.

Original poster
slowlycatchymonkey · 28/01/2013 20:51

It's all pretty shocking. I know loads of people though who dodge paying for their kids and have not only got away with it from a legal perspective but also the child has them on a pedestal. They get to do this and the child never knows about it, in several of the cases i know, not even in adulthood does it change the child's perception of their parent in spite of what they've done. A real get out of jail free card all round.

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TuesdayNightDateNight · 28/01/2013 21:16

As far as I know, if he has your DD 2 nights a week, then I think that effects things too. Nothing over 52 nights a year if I remember correctly?

Original poster
slowlycatchymonkey · 28/01/2013 21:19

Even with all the variables such as having her 104 nights a year, another kid to support etc, there is no way he's earning the pittance he says he is or that he should be paying 100quid a month. It's an embarrassment.

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Peterpan101 · 28/01/2013 22:44

He does have a partner. Could it be her that is financing his high standard of living?
What actually is his line of work, as there can be a huge difference in 'owns his own business'.

Original poster
slowlycatchymonkey · 28/01/2013 22:56

Don't want to say too much as will out myself but I helped him set it up while we were together and it does way better than what he is saying. It may well be wife thats financing his lifestyle to the current extent but that in itself is more of a reason to support his child. I've no doubt people will tell me that her finances are not my business, but if I had a pound for every time both ex and his wife remind me that they are a 'family' a 'unit' a 'team' I would be loaded. Funny how they get to shove their solidarity down my throat then conveniently claim independence from each other when it comes to money.

makes.me.sick

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Yummymummy555 · 30/01/2013 23:26

Hi, i would go direct to the CSA. That way you are guaranteed 15% of his net income and it comes direct from his salary, so no arguments each month. Why should you pay it all yourself ? The child is half his responsibility as well !! x

ladydeedy · 31/01/2013 11:13

I would caution about jumping to conclusions. The money for a 5 bed house may be his partner's. She may have received an inheritance etc. So I would find out what you can before making accusations.

Original poster
slowlycatchymonkey · 31/01/2013 22:19

Ladydeedy even if the money for the 5bed came from his ex, I stand by the point that that is MORE of a reason to pay his way. If he is able to enjoy a good lifestyle because his wife is wealthy then he has every opportunity to use some of that to pay towards his child. He can't have it both ways- tell me he and his wife are a family unit but then need to be treated separately when it comes to money. No- that's too convenient. Fwiw, I know for a fact that he earns way more than he is says he does, so he's lying and wifey is implicit in helping him tell those lies while they live a very good life indeed. Shame on the pair of them.

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ladydeedy · 03/02/2013 15:39

Actually you will find that is the case in the eyes of the law. I.e. her money is hers, and does not come into the equation in regards to your ex's obligations to his child.

Original poster
slowlycatchymonkey · 04/02/2013 13:39

Ladydeedy- I am well aware about the law. Morally though (and practically) it STINKS. Any woman who is wealthy yet implores/supports her husband to withdraw financial support for his child is amoral as far as I'm concerned. Just because the law says it's ok for them to do it, doesn't make it right.

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