Reviewing private child maintenance agreement?

[cupoflemontea]

2 children 8 & 10. He's been gone for 5.5 years.

Sees them eow and covers 4 weeks school holiday.

He lives with a partner who has her own child.

We've had a private cm arrangement - never had anything formal in place.

I have no real clue as to how much he earns. He's unskilled and I think he's topping up income working at McDonald's.

He pays £300 pcm but children are getting more expensive. I'm brilliant at bargain hunting but actually 2nd hand clothes and shoes are pretty tricky for this age.

The cost of transport to school is set to increase as the 10 yo goes to secondary school.

I'm remarried, both of us work. I think ex thinks we're higher earners so he shouldn't have to pay (not true and not the point)

I have no clue as to whether I should just leave it - the man works in McDonald's he can't be raking it in can he? Or whether I should say actually it's been nearly 6 years and you've never paid more than £300, It's time to review.

For 2 years it was actually £200 but he did have them more overnight.

How would you approach this please?

I'd like to know this, am in a similar position but my ex has been paying £160 a month for over 10years for two. I've been putting it off but they now really need more and I don't see why we (not struggle but my dh is paying for virtually everything for them so we go without holidays) should put up with it. I need a push and advice too, I'm not a naturally pushy person.

Exactly! @SluttyButty

DH and I have both had pay freezes, actually he took a cut last year but Xh wouldn't know that.

Exactly! @SluttyButty

DH and I have both had pay freezes, actually he took a cut last year but Xh wouldn't know that.

Tbh, if your ex is on the min wage or similar, then even with minimal pension contributions, he clears about £1100/month. You could try to ask him to up cm a bit but any substantial increase might not be possible - e.g. if you hoped to up it to 500 or more.

I'd be careful because if he decides to use cms you might end up getting less that you do now. Have a look on their calculator what 37 hours a week at min wage would end up paying.

If you go down the formal route you must consider it can go up as well as down and once you've opened Pandora's box you will have to live with the consequences whether you like them or not. He knows how much he earns and the online calculator is straight forward but again once he knows that figure you've opened the box.

Yes absolutely. Looking at the calculator it's coming out at £42 per week.

That's saying it's full time minimum wage which I'm just guessing about.

So on balance I'm better off just leaving it?

He wouldn't ever volunteer to pay more or contribute in other ways.

What was his gross when you were together you could use that as a starting point. Would he have had large pay rises over last 5 years? When you say topping up income at McDonalds is that a second job or his main employment. Don't forget he'll get % reduction for the child living with him and does he qualify for a reduction for the overnights they stay with him?

When he left his net pay was about £1400 iirc and he worked 50hrs per week (driver). He changed that job last year, then I think it's changed again and McDonald's is his 2nd job but I honestly don't know.

He is very unlikely to have had pay increases since he left, hence the job hopping.

He used to have them 2 nights per week, now it's 2 nights per fortnight.