Child Maintenance Monthly Payments. What do they include?

[Steve vRS]

My wife and I are separating and sharing the childcare going forward. I have agreed and am happy to pay her child maintenance with the amount determined using the calculator on the government website https://www.gov.uk/calculate-your-child-maintenanc... . This figure obviously pays for the routine and regular monthly costs for the kids. However, what do you do about the inevitable but irregular costs such as school uniforms, etc.? are these costs included in the calculated figure of do they come on top of that?

How has anyone else worked out a sensible arrangement without the involvement of lawyers?

Apologies if this is in the wrong forum.

[Scootersp]

I think it's designed to cover everything, as even blips can be averaged out over a long period, however I'd try and get that agreed and then be flexible about these adhoc things, Christmas's and birthdays etc. It's a balance from here on in (for both of you)of being nice without being a doormat, being generous at times without being taken advantage of etc.

[Pieman68]

Question to ask yourself is whether it is worth ongoing arguments for the sake of an additional contributions a couple of times a year.

Me and my split up 11 years ago when my daughter was 3. We agreed a figure for maintenance between us, and I have since increased that as my salary improved. Based on the calculator I believe I pay more than I "should", but the fact of the matter is that we share the responsibility for creating a child, and that responsibility stretches to her upbringing. On top of that we split uniform costs and I will, on occasion, buy items that my daughter needs.

Personally, I will do the necessary to ensure that my daughter doesn't go without. We have never been to court or fought over access and can discuss our daughter in a civil manner to ensure that she gets consistent parenting.

We still disagree on occasion but I make a point of not escalating.

On the other side of the coin my wife has a 12 year old who lives with us. Dad lets him down constantly and we haven't had a penny off him for 6 months - but he is self-employed and we see little point in chasing him through CSA as he would simply make his earnings disappear. His son doesn't know any of this as he doesn't need to.

Just do what is best for your kids would be my advice

[Steve vRS]

I have no intention of depriving my children of anything and am planning on vastly overpaying more than the government calculator. Just trying to decide if I pay a set amount each month or pay an amount each month and then have an arrangement that when dance lessons need paying or uniforms need buying that I pay a bit extra.

[randlemarcus]

Baseline at the CSA levels, and stick the balance aside for the extras. If you want to, give over and above the CSA, that's fine, but don't include the extras in the baseline monthly payments, otherwise they ARE the baseline.