How much should he pay?

[fantasticoplastico]

I'm trying to work out financials for our divorce. I don't know and have never been able to know how much he earns. I live in the rented family home. We have 2 children.

Should I ask him to make a contribution to rent? Electricity? Council tax? Or just the basics like clubs/ uniforms Etc. At the moment he just visits them
Adhoc or takes them
Out for a few hours. No overnights although I'm Hoping to get him to have them one night a week.

I tried the CSA calculator but it can't help without how much he earns. It's been 6 months now and he says he'll contribute but apart from occasional £20< food shopping that's been it.

Contact cms

Ask the CSA to deal with it if he won’t divulge / cooperate

unless he’s a very high earner you can’t expect rent support … assuming he has his own accommodation to pay for .
if you’re on low wage then claim universal credit to help pay towards rent and council tax

Just go through cms and give them as much info as you know

Didn't your ex provide full disclosure of income when you divorced?

Lodge a claim with CMS. They have access to his tax records and will allocate a % of his income. If he refuses to pay, they will deduct it at source.

Don't get involved in negotiating the amount because he will lie and mess you around endlessly, as he is doing.

Is he employed ? CMS will be able to find out how much he earns and work out a fair amount.
If he’s self employed, be prepared for him to rearrange his finances so it looks like he earns very little.
He’s only required to pay CMS. The costs of looking after the kids on his time are for him to pay.

We haven't divorced yet- just separated. I really want us to be able to do it without official bodies coming in.

But you've already waited 6 months

Then just ask him if he's willing to tell you how much he earns. If he won't, go through the official bodies.

If you had no idea what he earned while you were a married couple, he's never going to tell you now you're separated. And if he does, how are you supposed to believe he's telling truth?

You must be able to take a guess based on his job role/position? Get a ball park figure from CMS calculator so you've got a rough idea what to expect from him. 21k is NMW, so that's the lowest salary to be entering, but you must have some idea whether he earns 21k or 210k?

Ultimately though, just claim through CMS. Only possible complication then is if he's self employed, in which case you'll never get a reliable figure.

Incidentally OP, CMS cannot be backdated prior to the date you submit a claim, as no doubt your ex is fully aware.

So the longer he keeps you dangling for a cosy amicable agreement, the more of your children's money you are losing.

Get the claim in now. today.