Child maintenance question

[Iwantmymaidennameback]

For those who have separated and have DCs. How long did you wait before contacting Child Maintenance Service?
I have this feeling my ex will drag out paying me as long as possible even though I've provided him with my bank details so all he has to do is transfer payment in.
I have no idea how long I should leave it before going through legal channels.

Why wait at all? Just ring them and get the ball rolling. I assume your ex isn't paying you anything voluntarily

Well if he does decide to pay me anything it's going to be in arrears IYSWIM.
And I know how stingy he is with money. If he thinks he can get away with it he will just keep quiet and hope I just "forget" about it.
However, I don't want to antagonise him by going through the legal route.

Arseholes are arseholes. End of. Legal route doesn't make them behave worse - if they want to be arseholes sure they'll use it as an excuse - but if not that, they'd find something else.

Do you want to be reminding and begging him every month, just accepting missed payments that you never get back?

You also have no chance of arrears now, whereas I think once you start the claim, he can be made to pay arrears from the start date.

Have you actually agreed a date yet? And is the amount at least the CMS minimum?

If you've not chased at all and you just think he'll dick you about, I'd probably send a text "reminder of my bank details, please pay monthly on the 1st, start 1st May" (or whenever)

Then call CMS and check what you have to do, and press the trigger if there is any issue over the payment - or he comes back with shite in the meantime.

To my mind "going through legal channels" would comprise dragging his tight arse before a court, whereas claiming via the CMS would comprise using the government agency set up to ensure that neither claimants or reluctant payers are required to appear before a court and, as such, you're best advised to claim now before he racks up further arrears which you're unlikely to recover without "going through the legal route".

How long have you been waiting.. If you set up with CMS they will collect arreas from date you open claim.. not from when he should of paid...So sooner rather than later if you have no payment..

Has he just said nothing about payment..Have you asked when he will pay?