Child Maintenance
Author
Discussion

Rockape

Original Poster:

284 posts

208 months

Saturday 2nd April 2022
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Folks a query

Been divorced for eight years, came away quite good in that I kept my pension and didn't pick up her debt and a fair chunk from the house.

To give you an idea of her mindset six months after we were divorced signed and sealed she had the court start divorce proceedings on me😂

Anyway I have one daughter to her and have been paying her a standing order since in line with the child maintenance calculator.

I have two kids from my current relationship.

Today my ex sends me a message saying I have reconsidered your payments via the CSA calculator and you owe me 900 notes a month which is a considerable 650 increase.

I asked for her workings. Apparently I get 45k a month. I always wondered how my oppo had his big house and car. I pointed her error out and she's going to get a solicitor which will cost me a lot of money🙄

My question I'm aware it's taxable pay before ni and tax but after my pension and professional subscriptions. Is this correct.

I'll put my hard hat on and do battle with the CSA on Monday. Saturday morning and knew I would get an answer here.

LordHaveMurci

12,336 posts

198 months

Saturday 2nd April 2022
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Call Child Maintenance Options & discuss with them (unless you already have an account with CMS) or find the online calculator & use that.

Anything is else is just guessing really.

They are a shower though, and I’m the receiving parent!!

ConnectionError

2,340 posts

98 months

Saturday 2nd April 2022
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If you are earning £45k per month what the problem with giving your child an enhanced life?

If I recall they look at gross income without deductions, may be wrong though.

https://www.gov.uk/calculate-child-maintenance

Smurfsarepeopletoo

1,011 posts

86 months

Saturday 2nd April 2022
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Unless its changed from a few years ago, you can go onto the CMA website, put your earnings in, and how often you have the child, and they will calculate what you should pay.

As far as I am aware there is a cap on how much you pay a month, and you get deductions for the nights you have the child, so if its a 50/50 split, then I am not sure you have to pay anything.

ConnectionError

2,340 posts

98 months

Saturday 2nd April 2022
quotequote all
Smurfsarepeopletoo said:
Unless its changed from a few years ago, you can go onto the CMA website, put your earnings in, and how often you have the child, and they will calculate what you should pay.

As far as I am aware there is a cap on how much you pay a month, and you get deductions for the nights you have the child, so if its a 50/50 split, then I am not sure you have to pay anything.
the 50/50 threshold is incorrect


You can, as the paying parent, ask the CSA to step in and calculate the award. Doesn't half annoy the other parent when the current amount being paid goes down after they get involved, as my Ex found out when she tried a similar stunt.

Edited by ConnectionError on Saturday 2nd April 11:17

Rockape

Original Poster:

284 posts

208 months

Saturday 2nd April 2022
quotequote all
ConnectionError said:
If you are earning £45k per month what the problem with giving your child an enhanced life?

If I recall they look at gross income without deductions, may be wrong though.

https://www.gov.uk/calculate-child-maintenance
That's a figure she has plucked out the air. She has guesstimated my yearly gross and said I earn this a month. I earn her figure a year. The kids get whatever they need from me, my point was she saw 900 notes a month and is clicking her heels.

ConnectionError

2,340 posts

98 months

Saturday 2nd April 2022
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Rockape said:
ConnectionError said:
If you are earning £45k per month what the problem with giving your child an enhanced life?

If I recall they look at gross income without deductions, may be wrong though.

https://www.gov.uk/calculate-child-maintenance
That's a figure she has plucked out the air. She has guesstimated my yearly gross and said I earn this a month. I earn her figure a year. The kids get whatever they need from me, my point was she saw 900 notes a month and is clicking her heels.
So, use the calculator on my other reply to confirm the amount you are paying is correct.

Sleep easy with the knowledge that a solicitor will cost HER a great deal of money with no possibility of a positive outcome (for her).

Alternatively, if she is being difficult get CSA involved as it removes the argument moving forwards

Smurfsarepeopletoo

1,011 posts

86 months

Saturday 2nd April 2022
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A quick calculation on the CMA calculator of you earning 45k per year, and having the child 3 days a week (it will be more if you have the child less) and you having 2 children with your current partner, is £220 a month.

theboss

7,502 posts

248 months

Saturday 2nd April 2022
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The CMS will go by HMRC records for your taxable income.

She can't pick a fantasy figure out of thin air - they will verify.

J2daG1990

1,217 posts

155 months

Friday 8th April 2022
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You must be doing something right if she thinks you earn £45k a month!

Ruskie

4,505 posts

229 months

Friday 8th April 2022
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Just do all communication regarding the matter through CSA. The onus is on them to prove to her that her assumption is correct. You provide details to them and they work it out. Hateful organisation to deal with though.

Bonus points if it comes back and it’s less than what you are paying now.

Pedro25

410 posts

59 months

Monday 11th April 2022
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Like others when I split from my son's mother CSA got involved and I paid whatever they stated I had to pay, this went on for years until like the OP she got in contact and said I owed her more per month and she was going for backdated monies as well. Long story short I told her to go back to the CSA and I would pay whatever they came back with. I ended up paying her 250 pm less than it was currently and just banked the difference until my son was 18 and gave it to him instead. He's 27 now and even he doesn't like speaking to her anymore, spends more time with me and his step family. As for her I assume she's happy living in a privately rented home with none of her family around her.