Access - why is 30% significant?

[MrsSnail]

Hi

Ive recently split up with DD's dad, divorce is in progress and we're trying to sort out access with a mediator. He's insistant that he must have more than 30% overnights. Does anyone know the significance of the figure?

I would imagine it's to do with maintenance.

The more overnights he has the less he has to pay in child support.

From the CSA:

What happens if the child stays
overnight with both parents?

If the child stays overnight with the non-resident parent on
average at least one night a week (at least 52 nights a year), we
call this ‘shared care’. In these cases, we can reduce the amount
of child maintenance that the non-resident parent has to pay, as
long as we are using the basic or reduced rate to work out the
weekly amount due.
If you share the care of your child with the other parent,
please let us know as soon as possible so that we can take
this into account when we work out the new amount of child
maintenance. We need to know the average number of nights
the child stays overnight with the non-resident parent each week.
Where parents share the care of their children, we work out a
daily amount of child maintenance (usually 1/7 of the weekly
amount the non-resident parent must pay). For example, if the
non-resident parent must pay child maintenance of £70 a week,
this works out at £10 a day (£70 divided by 7).
We then take this daily amount off the weekly total for each day
the child stays overnight with the non-resident parent.

Mmmm. Ive suggested he have 2 overnights a week (104 per year, 28.4%) but hes absolutely insistent its more than 30%. As the figures are so close I just feel there must be some special significance to the 30%

ok bythemoonlight, thanks :)

Link to CSA calculator so you can work out how you much you will receive depending on how many nights he has your dd overnight HERE

The calculator uses these figures to work out the reduction:

Less than 52 (less than once a week)
52 to 103 (1 to 2 nights a week)
104 to 155 (2 to 3 nights a week)
156 to 174 (approx. 3 nights a week)
175 or more (more than 3 nights a week)

I worked for the CSA for 6.5 years and there is no significance in 30%. As a previous poster said, it can be reduced but only up to a maximum of 3/7 because if you go to 4/7 then you would be classed as the main carer and the money would be paid to you rather than you paying the money IYSWIM.

If it helps maintain a good relationiship with the kids then surely it'll be a good thing, regardless of whether that's his intention?

2 overnights plus part of hols would be 30%+. Has he read about it being helpful from an attachment/ relationship POV somewhere perhaps?