Apparently exH doesn't need to pay full maintenance as he has ds on a Saturday afternoon and that's when parents spent most money!

[Madmilkmaid]

So after 10 months of not having been giving a penny in maintance I wrote exH a letter requesting the minimum amount that the gov calculater said he should be paying.
I've had a message from him saying that he got legal advice 6 months ago and was told the above. Has offered me less than half what I requested because the lawyer said as he has ds on a Saturday then he will spend more money! Wtf!
Does that mean I should be entitled to more than the minimum during school holidays then because I spend more. Yeah, don't see that happening.

He's also taken on a new new job this year as "the money was just to good to turn down". He's now saying he only earns x amount a week which works out to actually be a 30k pay drop. He expects me to believe that. So he must be fiddling his wages somehow to avoid paying me anything.
I'm very tempted to tell him to stuff his tiny offer of support and I will manage (on my ass) as I have been since we split. Says he can't afford to pay (can afford holidays/nights out etc) and thats that.

So should I tell him to shove it where the sun don't shine or take his pathetic offer and let him tell the world how amazing he is for supporting his ds? (it doesn't even cover school lunches)!

Ring the Child Maintenance Service if you’re in the UK. He has to pay, legally and morally.

Go through the proper channels and stop engaging with him!

Just go straight to the CMS. You cannot negotiate with men like him - it's a waste of your time, energy and emotion.

Go straight to cms they can take it from his wages if he is going to be an arse!

CMS and don’t bother speaking to him about it again. Why haven’t you spoken to them before now? He should be paying for his child, if you don’t need it and can manage save it in an account and either take DC on holiday or use it for driving lessons.

Thanks for the replies. We are not in the UK so have no such thing as cms unfortunately. It needs to go through the courts but that costs money. We have still been on good terms since the split but this has beyond pissed me off.

Just don't understand how he thinks its OK to just say "can't afford it" and leave it at that. I can't afford it all either, but go without to make sure ds has a roof over his head and a full belly etc.

This is the first time since the split that I've realised that although he likes to be seen as this amazing dad to everyone else that he actually doesn't give a dam!

Looks like I will be looking for a solicitor this afternoon.

I would go for an attachment to earnings as well - you can easily find out where he is working especially if he is on decent money - check his linked in but alternatively CMS have access to HMRC records so it will show on there

Is it possible to get advice in the country you are living ? People’s advice will generally be on uk law and procedures.

Although not technically in the UK our laws do follow the UK so it is useful info. Just looks like I'm going to have to find money for a solicitor and deal with it officially through the courts. Was hoping to avoid that and he would be a good dad and not a twat!

It might be more difficult if not in UK but family law courts for this sort of stuff is possible to do without a solicitor if you are reasonably articulate and organised. Find out as much as you can online about entitlement, see a solicitor to confirm what you need to do then go through the process yourself. Its just form fiilling and taking each step at a time. Your ex sounds like a monumental twat and number 1 rule in all this is do not believe what he tells you his solicitor has said.