Father paying maintenance

[Meagainnewname]

Father has been paying maintenance to ex for his children, he’s now decided to give up a well paid job and further his education!
so he’ll have no income, he’s going to be claiming student finance, surely legally he’s to provide for his children?

His ex has a mortgage that he’s been paying towards, but once he’s stopped paying her, she’s no longer going to be able to afford to pay it, so eventually could be homeless!

Hes always been a selfish person but this is taking the piss, all he thinks about is himself and no one else.

initially, when they split he wanted the children 50/50, ( so he didn’t have to pay maintenance/child support!!! ) he could only have them weekdays though, only week days, but the mum wanted him to have them occasionally weekends too, he went off the idea of 50/50 and picked them up a few days from school and took them home to their mum!!
He then started to pay maintenance, but below the recommended amount , never declared through partners benefits.

Any advice for the mum please who’s not online.

many thanks

Your friend must have realised that her ex paying £700 a month mortgage for a house he is no longer living in is not sustainable in the long term? He’s not a massive earner if all he can afford is a bedsit for himself. One of them needs to initiate divorce proceedings. As they bought the house years ago, selling it will release equity for them both to rehouse themselves. Solicitors can be paid once the house is sold.

Sounds like they didn't divorce and tie things up properly. There's legal aid available. It also doesn't have to be that expensive if both parties are clear on what they want.

The house should have been sold if neither can afford to buy the other out.

Your friend should work more than two days a week and not rely on her ex. He's an ex.

The ex-husband has the right to re-train and stop working if he wants.

HOWEVER, he's morally wrong for not supporting his children.

He sounds like he’s not pulling his weight but it’s irrelevant to whether it’s sustainable for him to keep paying a substantial amount towards a mortgage on a house he can’t live in. He’s hardly living the high life if he’s stuck in a bedsit is he?

As to the children losing their home, well unfortunately that’s often what has to happen when couples separate as not many people can afford to run the old house plus a new one on the same combined income as before especially when one half only works two days a week. It’s not like they’re going to be homeless per se, they’ll just have to live in a different property funded by the proceeds of the house sale.

There will be no money from the house sale, as they’re only had it 10/12 years I think
Also years ago a dad had to provide a roof over his children’s head!!
has that stopped now??
oh believe me he’s loving it on his own in the bedsit because he’s got a different young woman there most nights 🤣🤣 they’re usually about 15 younger than him!!

Being stuck in a bedsit until the DC are 18 isn’t sustainable no matter how much you think he’s living it up. Unless there’s a big surplus of cash sloshing around all the dad is obligated to do is provide child maintenance based on his income, the mum is equally responsible for providing a roof over her children’s heads and as resident parent she’ll be entitied to benefits that the NRP wouldn’t also be able to claim.

Don’t get me wrong I’m not defending him but if your friend wants advice then she needs to know what she’s entitled to legally, what’s morally right or not doesn’t come into it. I’d suggest you check out the Wikivorce website on your friend’s behalf, loads of good free legal advice over there.