Maintenance review

[Cadburyhome]

After a quick straw poll from both resident and non resident parents, how often do you review how much you/your partner pays for child maintenance? Do you have a fixed arrangement, or does it change every 6-12 months? And of course the BIG one, how do you agree how much you should be paying/receiving?

My XH and I agreed 15% of his salary, this is in line with what CSA would have awarded at the time - we've been apart for 5 years. We've never formally reviewed it but he has increased it when he's changed jobs and had a pay rise.

It did take a bit of negotiation at the time and I didn't really agree with it for a number of reasons (I work p/t so I can be at home with the kids, therefore limiting my earning potential etc etc) but I didn't really have much choice other Han go to court which probably wouldn't have got me much more.

And tbh I just wanted to be rid of him at that point so couldn't be bothered arguing any more. My solicitor thought I was an idiot but stopping having the same conversation over and over again was better for my sanity than an extra £50 a month or whatever I might have got!

Ours was set by the CSA about 7 years ago. We have not reviewed or changed it at all. I expect he must have had a pay rise, I just can not be bothered with the hassle of sorting it out.

DS is 18 and will leave full time education this summer. We will have to ask the CSA to adjust the amount as his employer pays the money directly to them and they pay me. Then he will only be paying me for DD. I think he is expecting it to be cut in half, he is in for a surprise.

Ex and I set it in line with the CSA online calculator. I then asked for an update about 3 years later as I suspected his salary had gone up, which he agreed it had so he put it up to what he told me was in line with CSA rules. As it was quite an increase I didn't argue. I've let it lie ever since mainly because I'm now much better off than him (new DH) so don't see the need to push for a small increase. Ex is always skint because his DW isn't working so DC already complain about him having no money for things.

DH set his via mediation at the time of his divorce and it's fixed for the duration of the time. His ex complains about this from time to time but in fact DH's income hasn't gone up at all, and the amount she gets is high so he ignored her grumbles. She could return to court to get it re-set, but as I'm now living with DH they might say his needs were higher so this would probably backfire.