How To Pay Child Maintenance? - Fixanswer

If you're a separated parent responsible for paying child maintenance and live in England, Scotland or Wales,

the Child Maintenance Service can take legal action against you for missing a payment or not paying the amount due

. This legal action can force you to pay the child maintenance you owe.

What happens if child maintenance is not paid UK?

CMS can take you to court over unpaid child maintenance

. They can apply for a court order to take legal action. This is a ‘liability order'. If the court grants the order, CMS can then legal action against you.

Do fathers legally have to pay child maintenance?

Arranging child maintenance

When possible, you should make sure your child is looked after by having an effective maintenance arrangement in place.

Both parents are legally responsible for the financial costs of bringing up their children

, even parents who don't live with their children.

Do I have to pay child maintenance if it's 50 50 custody?

If you have shared care for at least 52 nights a year, you don't need to pay any child maintenance

.

How much child maintenance should a father pay?

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.

Do I still 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”)

.

What happens if I can't afford to pay child maintenance?

The consequences can be severe. If you miss payments,

the CMS have the power to deduct arrears and ongoing payments straight from your earnings or bank account

. They have a wide range of other powers and, as a last resort, you could face prison if you refuse to pay.

Can you go to jail for not paying maintenance?

If maintenance isn't paid,

the court can take the money from the maintenance payer's salary, their investment account, auction their property or issue a warrant of arrest

.

Can child maintenance take money from your bank account?

The CSA can take the money from the parent's bank account, wages or benefits

. If your child's other parent doesn't respond to the CSA's attempts to contact them or doesn't pay the arrears, the CSA may apply to the court for a liability order.

How many years can CSA be backdated?

Is there a CSA arrears time limit? Generally speaking,

there is no time limit on when the CMS or CSA can collect your arrears

. Usually, they will try to collect it within two years of you falling behind with your payments.

Does child maintenance include clothes?

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.

Do mothers have more rights than fathers UK?

The short answer to your question is yes,

fathers do have the same parental rights as mothers

. However, you should know that in the UK, whereas a mum automatically obtains parental responsibility as soon as her child is born, the situation is a bit more complicated for the dad.

How old does a baby have to be to stay overnight with father UK?

The welfare of the child is always the court's top priority, so those under 18 months old are considered suitable to visit their father (or noncustodial parent) for a few hours at a time, but due to their need for routine and familiarity,

overnight stays are generally not recommended

.

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.

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.

Can child maintenance be backdated?

All in all,

child maintenance can be backdated for a long period

, but there's no definitive answer as to how long. Essentially, it depends on the individual case and circumstances, and it might mean going to court to resolve the situation.

How much is child benefit per month UK?

Child Benefit can help you with the costs of your children. It's usually paid every 4 weeks. If you're eligible you'll get

£21.80 a week for your first child and £14.45 a week for any children after that

.

Does marriage affect child maintenance?

Whether or not you have remarried, or your ex-partner has remarried,

does not affect the obligation to continue paying child maintenance

.

Can I go after my ex husband's new wife for child support UK?

There are no grounds for reducing child maintenance on the basis that your ex-wife is living with a new partner

. Your obligation to pay child maintenance continues regardless of your ex-wife's circumstances.

Can my partner's ex wife claim my money?

Since it is your house,

your new partner's ex cannot make any claim against your property

. Full stop.