On the basic rate, if you’re paying for:
- one child, you’ll pay 12% of your gross weekly income.
- two children, you’ll pay 16% of your gross weekly income.
- three or more children, you’ll pay 19% of your gross weekly income.
Consequently, Is child maintenance calculated on gross or net income? Unless a paying parent receives certain benefits, the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) will work out the weekly child maintenance amount they should pay using their taxable gross annual income.
Do I have to pay child maintenance if I’m not on the birth certificate? If an unwed father is not listed on the birth certificate, he has no legal rights to the child. This includes no obligation to paying child support and no rights to visitation to custody or child support. If no father is listed on the birth certificate, the mother has sole legal rights and responsibility of the child.
Keeping this in consideration, When can I stop paying child support?
When does child maintenance stop? If child maintenance has been paid under a Child Maintenance Service Agreement, then the law states that maintenance will be paid until: The child is 16 years old. The child is 20 years old if they continue in full-time education to the end of A- levels.
Do I have to pay more than child maintenance?
Yes, you are not obliged to pay anything more than your child maintenance sum. I would however encourage you to consider any requests on a case by case basis. Ultimately the money is to pay for your child and so you may want to pay a little extra on one-off occasions so that your child doesn’t go without.
Are school dinners included in child maintenance? Child maintenance payments are designed to cover the everyday needs of the child such as food, clothing and housing. School fees are not usually covered under child maintenance, but a family-based arrangement can be created to cover this.
Do I have to pay child maintenance if my ex earns more? As it stands you are required to pay CSA no matter what your ex earns, this will be a percentage of your weekly take home pay, less 50% as you have boys 50% of the time.
Is child maintenance based on household income? The CMS calculates child maintenance according to what the law says a parent should pay. It uses the paying parent’s gross income to work out the payment. This can include wages, income from a pension and other taxable income.
How many years can CSA be backdated?
If an application is made with the CSA, your responsibility to pay will start from around the time the CSA contact you. If the child’s mother had previously opened a case fifteen years ago with the CSA then they may be backdated payments owed.
Can a father refuse a DNA test? Yes. The possible father of a child does have the right to refuse a court-ordered DNA test, however he will experience legal consequences for doing so. DNA testing is typically considered a civil lawsuit and the judge can try to force the possible father to provide a sample to a Ministry of Justice Approved laboratory.
Does child maintenance stop on 20th birthday?
If they choose to continue in what is known as “approved education”, child maintenance does not stop and will continue until they turn 20 (as long as they remain in approved education).
Do I have to pay child maintenance if my ex remarries? The answer is no. When parents divorce, the absent parent (“paying parent”) is obliged by law to pay child maintenance to the parent caring for the child (“receiving parent”).
Is child support mandatory?
By law, all parents have a duty to support their children financially. A parent who doesn’t have day-to-day care of their child must pay maintenance to the parent who does.
Can I pay child maintenance direct to my child when they are 18?
There is a common misconception that a parent can only claim child maintenance up until a child is 18 years old. However, there are two ways in which a parent can claim maintenance payments for a child over 18 years old, either via the court (seeking a court order for periodical payments) or via the CMS.
What is the flat rate of child maintenance? Step 3 – child maintenance rates
| Gross weekly income | Rate | Weekly amount |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown or not provided | Default | £38 for 1 child, £51 for 2 children, £61 for 3 or more children |
| Below £7 | Nil | £0 |
| £7 to £100, or if the paying parent gets benefits | Flat | £7 |
| £100.01 to £199.99 | Reduced | Calculated using a formula |
Does child maintenance cover school fees? Child maintenance payments are designed to cover the everyday needs of the child such as food, clothing and housing. School fees are not usually covered under child maintenance, but a family-based arrangement can be created to cover this.
What is child maintenance supposed to be used for?
Child maintenance is money to help pay for your child’s living costs. It’s paid by the parent who doesn’t usually live with the child to the person who has most day-to-day care of the child. It’s also called ‘child support’.
Do fathers have to pay nursery fees? If you and your ex-partner have children, you’re both expected to continue to pay towards their costs after you separate. And often that means one parent will pay the other. You can agree this between you or, if you can’t agree, ask the Child Maintenance Service to calculate the amount.
What costs are included in child maintenance?
Child maintenance covers the cost of the everyday care of the child, such as food, clothes, and housing. Expenses such as school fees do not fall under child maintenance – parents who are getting a divorce can make a “Family Based Arrangement” to deal with costs like this.
Does my ex have to pay half the mortgage and child support? Married: If you are married to the child’s parent then it does not matter who owns the family home. If the child support does not cover the mortgage payments and household bills, your ex-spouse could apply for spousal maintenance.
Will child maintenance stop if I remarry?
The answer is no. When parents divorce, the absent parent (“paying parent”) is obliged by law to pay child maintenance to the parent caring for the child (“receiving parent”).
Do I have to pay child maintenance if my ex wife remarried? Whether or not you have remarried, or your ex-partner has remarried, does not affect the obligation to continue paying child maintenance.
Don’t forget to share this post !