Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Step-parenting

Connect with other Mumsnetters here for step-parenting advice and support.

Should we have to pay this much maintenance?

202 replies

Festivalgirl83 · 07/04/2021 20:47

DP and I live together in a house we bought together last year. He has a DD (8) with ex wife who he split with when DD was a year old. I have 2 DC of my own.

His DD has never stayed overnight with him because mum firstly breast fed until she was 3 so he was unable to have her overnight for those first few years, she has then built up such a strong bond she is unable to spend a night away from her Mum and is very traumatised if this is attempted. However, she otherwise loves spending time with her Dad and being here and throughout all these years Dad has paid maintence.
His DD is now spending more time at ours than ever before, in the last 7 days she has been here for 4 full days and we give her all meals but goes home about 7pm, Dad does all the driving. This happens most weeks now.
We are starting to wonder if he could suggest paying less as we have her for sometimes more meal times and hours than her Mum but obviously maintenence is worked out on overnight stays.

Does this sound completely unreasonable?

OP posts:
Quincie · 08/04/2021 08:31

Petrol costs could be high depending on the distance.
I think she will eventually grow out of wanting to sleep at Mum's. Once friends' influence is more important - will she never do a sleep over?

But I don't think an adult can force her.

GiggyThePomeranian · 08/04/2021 09:30

@QuestionEverythingOrBeASheep

To put it into perspective for all the bashers here, how much does your ex pay for his 2 children (to you) if both of them are his? Unless a child is with your current partner.
My ex pays £350 for his one child with me. He also has her EOW and one night through the week. He doesn’t question what I spend it on but her clubs, sports and instruments all eat up a fair old chunk of that.
Festivalgirl83 · 08/04/2021 10:23

@SmashedAvocado

Your own DC must have a pretty miserable life if you think that your DP paying £250 a month to contribute to the upbringing of his child is excessive. Most people spend more than that on car finance.

Are you wanting him to reduce CMS so you have more money in the pot for you and your DC?

Is it only due to the school holidays his DC is spending more time at yours? How likely is that to continue when she’s back at school?

You sound really petty and considering you’re not even married to her Dad should butt out and stop whispering in his ear (which I bet you do) about it.

It was my DP that brought the subject up not my whisperings but thanks for the concern
OP posts:
Festivalgirl83 · 08/04/2021 10:27

£250 is not a measly amount actually it is relevant to his earnings, he doesn't earn a massive amount (his ex earns significantly more) and only has a very small amount for himself when all outgoings are gone out.
My ex pays £130 for my two DC which is significantly less than he should pay but cannot do anything about this as he fiddles his finances!

I earn a good wage in a professional field as I don't rely on my ex to support my lifestyle or my children's, what if your ex loses their job you can't be reliant on other people?

We have encouraged sleepovers and DP has spoken to his ex who is apparently trying as well to get her to stay but mum won't let her be forced to stay and as a mum I agree with her. She has been in a relationship for 2 years herself and obviously doesn't get any or much free time with her DP so it must be hard to build that relationship.

OP posts:
dontdisturbmenow · 08/04/2021 10:29

I genuinely don't know, my view may well be skewed because of the pittance my ex pays me me two children
Yes, most likely there are.

Does the mum works? No after-school clubs, hissy clubs? Do they do any activities, go in school trips? Are invited to birthdays and need to buy presents?

As for the gas/electricity, there certainly is a difference, and even more for food.

£250 for one child overall us not bad, but certainly not plenty.

Festivalgirl83 · 08/04/2021 10:39

@dontdisturbmenow

I genuinely don't know, my view may well be skewed because of the pittance my ex pays me me two children Yes, most likely there are.

Does the mum works? No after-school clubs, hissy clubs? Do they do any activities, go in school trips? Are invited to birthdays and need to buy presents?

As for the gas/electricity, there certainly is a difference, and even more for food.

£250 for one child overall us not bad, but certainly not plenty.

Yes mum works, has a very good job in fact. Child doesn't go to any clubs after school as grandparents or my DP does the after school pick ups, she does Brownies. Dad pays for half of this anyway.
OP posts:
IceCreamAndCandyfloss · 08/04/2021 10:45

Here mum having a good job is irrelevant. If your DP wants a better job or more income he is free to do so.

Wanting to reduce child support as he has given her a meal .... there are sometimes no words. With four already in the household it won’t cost barely anything more for one extra child portion.

BillMasen · 08/04/2021 10:56

On a lot of other threads the consensus has been that the rule around it being overnights is unfair. Dad can have the kids a few night, not taking on any of the real responsibilities or costs just to get out of paying and that’s not fair.

On this thread the dad does take on those costs and responsibilities, just not the overnights, and the consensus here seems to be that it’s the nights that matter.

Odd that...

Graphista · 08/04/2021 11:04

I find those “he needs to live too” comments laughable too! I’ve never heard of a NRP going hungry to feed their child, conversely I’ve heard of many stories where RP (usually mums) are literally going hungry in order to keep a roof over the children’s heads!

Yep!

And I've been one of those Rp's

Ex has never gone without his whole life! He'd be bitching to me about paying less than £200 a month maintenance while posting on social media about Florida holidays and brand new cars!

The sooner society stops making excuses for deadbeat parents doing the absolute bare minimum, the sooner children will have better outcomes!

Absolutely

It was my DP that brought the subject up not my whisperings but thanks for the concern

We only have your word for that, and considering your stance on thread you're hardly encouraging him to step up and be a decent dad/ex/co-parent are you?

his ex earns significantly more

Irrelevant!

And cms amounts are less than 20% of his earnings usually. Plus I'm betting he uses your dc for the reduction?

Also irrelevant what your ex pays you. Yea he's being a shit deadbeat dad but that doesn't mean your current partner should be to his dd

what if your ex loses their job. This is already taken into account by the system and again not relevant to the current situation

You really need to adjust your view on this. The most important thing is he has a good relationship with his dd which is very much supported by a good co-parenting relationship with his ex.

Don't interfere with that as it's really none of your business when it comes down to it.

As I say I was pretty fortunate with dds stepmum, aside from the affair she's a decent person. My ex's shitty behaviour has absolutely nothing to do with her being in his ear as I've seen happen many a time with others. If anything in the early stages she made things significantly easier. Unfortunately ex reached a point he ignored her good advice and support in this way. But even when ex was not in contact at all with dd she stayed in contact with us both and apologised on his behalf on a number of occasions but they were empty apologies as they weren't from him and his behaviour didn't change. My ex parents in law also stayed in touch to their credit. They are totally ashamed of how he's behaved as it's absolutely not how he was raised to. His dad had been married before he and his mum married and he had an excellent relationship with his ex and paid decent maintenance without being made to inc still paying half the mortgage until the youngest from that marriage was 18. His ex lived literally around the corner from him and his kids from that marriage frequently and easily went between both homes with no formal contact arrangements in place. A much happier and healthier setup for everyone. Even when his ex fell ill towards the end of her life he'd run errands and check in with her. Hell she was at our wedding! Ex and his siblings referred to her as "aunty".

I know the mn cliché is that step parents get "bashed" but quite honestly I think it's mainly because so many have appalling attitudes towards their partners/spouses ex's and even the children and interfere in contact and maintenance arrangements some of which have been working perfectly smoothly before they came along and stuck their neb in!

Want to be a good step parent? Don't frustrate the relationship between your partner/spouse and their child nor the co-parenting relationship. It's really nothing to do with you.

Cm in this country is in the majority of cases woefully underpaid IF it's paid at all - enforcement is shite! We really need a massive overhaul of the system.

Frankly that nrp's can get a reduction due to their step children they're living with is ridiculous! Those children's parents are responsible for them not the step parents.

Really makes me mad!

Festivalgirl83 · 08/04/2021 11:15

@IceCreamAndCandyfloss

Here mum having a good job is irrelevant. If your DP wants a better job or more income he is free to do so.

Wanting to reduce child support as he has given her a meal .... there are sometimes no words. With four already in the household it won’t cost barely anything more for one extra child portion.

My DP also works two jobs well over full time to fund this. Thre mum works 3 days a week
OP posts:
Viviennemary · 08/04/2021 11:16

Reading your posts again I think you've got an absolute nerve complaining about what your partner pays in maintenance to his ex while your own ex pays around half of that. Maybe you should ask him for a rise or get a better job yourself if money is tight. The cheek of some folk.

dontdisturbmenow · 08/04/2021 11:19

It would make more sense to have made it clear from the start that he paid no tendance and all the costs are hers, rather than agreeing to pay half of the activity but then wanting to reduce maintenance.

Ultimate, no harm in suggesting a reduction, you never know, she might agree.

Tangledtresses · 08/04/2021 11:22

I wouldn't rock the boat for the sale of the child! You've got to a good place and she's sounds very insecure, she will get older and things will improve. I don't personally think £250 pm is that much....

Keep paying it and support the child, I don't think the ex will like it and ultimately be a pita which in turn will effect the child.

Clingy children are not well bonded or secure !

UseMyName · 08/04/2021 11:24

‘’ DP also works two jobs well over full time to fund this. Thre mum works 3 days a week’s’

That makes no sense - if he earned less he’s pay less - he is paying the minimum.

VettiyaIruken · 08/04/2021 11:25

I don't think £8 a day is a lot to pay towards raising a child.

excelledyourself · 08/04/2021 11:34

My DP also works two jobs well over full time to fund this. Thre mum works 3 days a week

How is he managing to have her for four dull days for the last few weeks if he's working to this extent? And why is he having her four full days instead of her being at school at least two of those?

IJustWantSomeBees · 08/04/2021 11:55

My DP also works two jobs well over full time to fund this. Thre mum works 3 days a week

It doesn't matter how much their mum works. As you said yourself, CMS is based on his earnings. And when you say 'fund this' I assume you mean contribute to his child's upbringing? The primary parent doesn't have the luxury of just deciding they don't think they should have to spend as much on their children. It is so sad and embarrassing reading about how so many men jump at the chance of reducing the money they spend on their child, a child they are significantly less involved with compared to the mother anyway.

The fact that your ex underpays you is also irrelevant.

ChronicallyCurious · 08/04/2021 12:04

It’s such a same when fathers only want to pay the minimum they can get away with for their child.

Graphista · 08/04/2021 12:16

Wow! You REALLY begrudge your step child a decent upbringing don't you?

It's completely irrelevant how much she works and how much he works. How much she works and what she's paid is NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS. In her place I'd be pissed off you know to be honest

And no way he is working all those hours JUST to pay maintenance - he does it because he wants to for any number of reasons including increased income for himself

How is he managing to have her for four dull days for the last few weeks if he's working to this extent?

Well spotted! Is that the real cause of your annoyance op? That you're caring for his child while he works?

If so that is a dp/dh problem! A problem within your relationship as you are not responsible for his child and contact is for him to spend time with her. If he's spending sod all contact with her and she's in the care of a resentful stepmother when at yours (however well you think you're hiding the resentment I'll bet she senses it) then no wonder she doesn't feel happy staying overnight! That's when children and even adults feel at their most vulnerable

RedGoldAndGreene · 08/04/2021 12:28

How is he managing to have her for four dull days for the last few weeks if he's working to this extent?

If you're looking after her while he's at work then you have a right to be annoyed.

If he's working 75 hours a week plus (2 full time jobs) then how many hours does he actually see her?

Kimbo180 · 08/04/2021 12:34

My partner pays €800 a month for his 8 year old
Plus half of all other expenses that comes with children
Tbh if he was to suggest paying less id raise an eyebrow.
Both of us work as does the mum
Its the child who benifits from the money
Keeps a roof over her head.
Shes not short for anything.

RedGoldAndGreene · 08/04/2021 12:36

The minimum he's supposed to pay is CMS plus expenses when he's with her. He can ask for petrol costs to be deducted if they were high but I'm guessing that they aren't if he can pick up from school, do the pick up and drop off on the same day etc

If her staying with him for 2 nights would change the maintenance owed by £20 then it's shockingly tight to quibble over £20

FredAstairesShoeLaces · 08/04/2021 12:41

Your boyfriend needs to rethink his priorities if this is his attitude to occasionally feeding his own child.

I hope this thread isn’t real because it’s actually horrible.

arethereanyleftatall · 08/04/2021 12:58

I'm sorry that you're struggling op, but I think that when it gets to the financial stage that you're begrudging/struggling to pay for food for your child/stepchild, then it's time to look at your own finances and see where you can improve your own situation. 2nd jobs, better jobs which pay more etc

bogoffmda · 08/04/2021 13:23

OP - you have fed her lunch and tea for four days over the Easter holidays and want to cut maintenance?

Swipe left for the next trending thread