How do you think CMS should be calculated?

[cantstandmenow]

Just that.

I receive CMS through personal arrangement, and while I'm not over the moon with it and not sure I'd receive more or less through the CMS service, I can see the system is pretty awful for others.

Just wondering how others think the system should work? Should NRP's pay a higher percentage of earnings? Should their lifestyle be taken into account? What should be put in place for those who aren't earning at all? (I think they should be made to do voluntary work and in return the RP receives additional payment, albeit with health taken into consideration).

I also don't agree with NRP's being able to reduce their payment if they move in with someone who already has children.

Just a general debate really!

I think the issues to be resolved are more about enforcing payments and closing the self-employed loopholes than an adjustment of how child maintenance is calculated.

Each family has very different circumstances and a universal calculation is never going to be perfect. However, the NRPs who follow the government backed sums shouldn't really be as criticised as much as they are on Mumsnet IMO.

I would like to see passports and driving licenses withdrawn for non payment.

Like in Russia when passports are withdrawn when people don't pay their court fines?

Like in Russia when passports are withdrawn when people don't pay their court fines?

Are you suggesting NRPs who refuse to step up shouldn’t have immediate and severe consequences? I do hope not.

I have no idea what they do in Russia but in the UK I would like there to be consequences for non payment. Withdrawing a passport to stop a non paying nrp relocating would be a good one.

I think driving licence but only because that’s the only thing that would actually bother XH.

YeTalkShiteHen I think that would be good too but I'm sure someone will say that it prevents a nrp working because they can't drive.

My ex would just use lack of driving licence as yet another reason he can't pay any money for his kids.
He had 5 with me then went on to have 2 more and walked away from them too with not a care in the world.
Job hops and moves regularly to avoid paying maintenance.
I think he thinks the debt will vanish in 4 years time when my youngest turns 18.
Apparently this is not the case.

Aye I’m sure they will. Because these discussions always, always come back to prioritising the NRP, never the child/children.

And that is exactly why the system is so shite.

Defenitly not include any step children unless the nrp has pr for them.

My exh lives with his new gf her 5 dc and they have 1 dc together. Yes all 6 of those dc are taken into account when working out how much cm I get.

My exh lives with his new gf her 5 dc and they have 1 dc together. Yes all 6 of those dc are taken into account when working out how much cm I get.

I think that’s really shocking. Stepparents aren’t financially responsible for their stepchildren so he shouldn’t pay less towards his children in favour of them. Yes her benefits (if she claims any) would have been affected with him moving in, but maintenance towards his children is an entirely separate issue.

My exh doesn't declare his PT self employed business salary. Only his PT employment. He has now also decided to halve the payments as he has realised he can reduce because of OW DC.

He also goes around telling everyone he pays for x y and z according to my DC. Like bollocks does he. He says he will then doesn't.

Thankfully I work ft in a good job.

I absolutely agree with the self employed loop holes being closed. I've heard some awful stories in the past of father's working out ways to not pay when they live in huge houses in posh areas and drive fancy cars.

I also would like any DC that are not the nrp to not be taken into account. OW gets maintenance from her xh. Why should my DC get less?

The system stinks. And I realise I'm so much more better off than most on here. My DC don't do without. But it's not because of anything their father does. His payments don't even cover childcare let one any other living costs.

Are you suggesting NRPs who refuse to step up shouldn’t have immediate and severe consequences? I do hope not.

I didn’t suggest anything, I was just asking whether we should be looking to Russia as a standard for how to punish those who don’t comply.

CanineEnigma Stop being a gf.

If your marry someone who is self employed you must be aware of the loopholes they use to avoid tax, e.g. cash payment which obviously benefits the family. Suddenly marriage is over and RP is surprised that they use the same tactics to avoid CM. It's not the CM system that needs changing its the attitude to the tax system that needs looking at.

I have a friend getting nothing because he refuses to disclose his address. He collects the child from his mothers house or directly from my friend. Without an address she is screwed. Even though Hmrc have his pay slips and the mainenence has been calculated

If the nrp payments should not be discounted should we then force rp to disclose finances and receipts to prove they do not support their step children (that live with them) in anyway? Including housing cost, electricity water food etc?

Cause that is where it would lead and then the only way it would be even close to fair. Even then it would not be fair.

It's the same concept

I didn’t suggest anything, I was just asking whether we should be looking to Russia as a standard for how to punish those who don’t comply

Utterly irrelevant and a fairly standard and predictably pathetic attempt to deflect from the actual issue.

It's not though, and I'm not trying to be a gf. If we want the government to bring in a change which will disproportionally "hit" men, suggesting extreme sanctions like passport or driving license suspension won't win support, and policies which benefit women (either mainly or wholly) have a hard enough time gaining support as it is. Pretending like the government give a shit about the needs of women and children is naive in the extreme.

So what? We just accept it and keep quiet?

Not a fucking chance.

I don't know what the answers are but the amount of people I've seen on here and been around in real life who's ex's just don't pay or pay a pittance is bloody disgusting and gives me the rage. One woman I know gets a payment of 7 quid (a week as her ex is on UC) but also works cash in hand and she doesn't even get that every time!

I get nothing from my ex for my dcs. He still sees them a lot and has a good relationship with them though and that’s really important to me, much more than money. But it does irk me that I have all the financial responsibility. My not so df Paid no maintenance but didn’t see us either. So maybe I just have low standards.

I do think there are some excellent ideas on here to enforce a basic level of maintenance for children. I do think though that parents need to pay for all of their children- it’s totally unfair that one child would be preferred financially over another. Whether the first spouse wants the other parent to have another or not is totally irrelevant. There is no reason why their needs should not be treated equally.

It’s not about the “rp” sucking it up either- you can’t stop someone having more children and they should all be treated equally in my view.

I agree with passport and driving license sanctions. It's a debt. It should be stigmatized and prevent the person who sees fit to steal from their own child from applying for a mortgage, hire purchase or any credit. It should be criminalized and significant penalties plus interest applied. People should be prosecuted for this and be liable to have their assets seized. It is beyond my comprehension that NRPs are allowed to get away with this and that so many people make pathetic excuses for them.

I have wondered whether a % of each parents income is put in a pot then split in the portion the child stays with each parent.
The current system might not be prefect but its much better than previous system.

I didn't marry someone who was self-employed! I never got any of the benefit of any tax evading
And I did report him and her for benefit fraud. He had told me he was not using her address so she could claim full benefits and suggested I give up my job to do the same.

Seriously. He is a cock and she is welcome to him.