Who should pay child maintenance

[Boysbeforeflowers]

I'm really confused, so I thought I'd ask on here. I have twin boys and share custody with their father, who currently pays £261 a month maintenance.

Recently DS' father has said it's a little unfair for him to be paying that much, and that things are getting tight for his family, as he has four other children. The conversation was sparked by my recent promotion to NHS band 7. As I now earn a similar amount to him, should I perhaps pay him maintenance? I honestly have no idea!

Our arrangement is very informal and we get along well, but we are both a bit puzzled. The boys kind of float between the two houses; I'd say it's roughly 50:50 in the custody department. Both of us own a property without a mortgage. Please help me make sense of this

If you have a 50/50 split then nobody should pay maintenance

Neither should if it’s 50/50!

I think if custody is 50:50 neither of you should pay maintenance to the other. Do you split big but necessary expenses such as childcare, uniform etc?

Neither of you should be paying maintenance but cost for anything they need should be split fairly.

Neither should be paying maintenance in a 50/50 split providing the cost of all extras (uniform/childcare/clubs etc) are equally divided.

No maintenance if you're 50/50 custody and if you're earning equally then 50/50 on costs of extras.

Nobody should need to pay maintenance in your situation.

Both of us own a property without a mortgage.

Just want to say-wow, that must make things easier in a split. I would say-lucky you, but obviously I have no idea how you came to be in that situation and it could be a sad story.

Nobody should be paying anything if it’s 50/50! That’s absurd! If I were him I’d be asking to be reimbursed!!

Also, does he know contraception exists??

How do you organise who pays for clubs, trips, clothes, health costs, shoes etc?
If these are split down the middle and you share the housing & feeding then no one pays maintenance?

The other question would be who gets the child benefit? It would probably be fairest if you both claimed for one child each, although I don't know if that is possible, especially with twins.

Again @Skittlenommer why are you here? Trolling another parent as usual

Legally, the parent who is receiving child benefit is entitled to have maintenance paid to them, with a reduction of 1/7 for every night the children stay with the other parent.

If you are doing it informally then who is paying for what? Are you paying for most of the childcare, clothes etc or is that on top of maintenance?

@FuckFacePlatapus Again @Skittlenommer why are you here? Trolling another parent as usual

How is it trolling when my answer is consistent with the other answers?

He's always paid me, we simply assumed this was what we should do to ensure we each had the same amount to spend on the children.

We split uniforms etc (twins, so each pays for one ), but this was when I was on quite a bit less. The calculator wasn't helping as it kind of suggested we both pay. I might start paying him, to square up a bit.

I would just cancel any maintenance. You'll be nearly £300 down in what you normally have, so adjust to that. Hell be early £300 up which will make a big difference with his other kids.

If it is a true 50/50 split and you earn the same then l think it's only fair that neither of you pay.

By true though l mean for example, that the children have clothes in both the houses provided by that parent - and not you only paying for clothes and packing a bag each time they go.

Other expenses should be split - school uniform, school trips, extracurricular activities.

Who pays for childcare? As that also needs to be split fairly