Child Support in addition to maintenance

Do you begrudge paying it?

Jo x

In Scotland LOTS of children have to sue a parent for a financial contribution towards their further education.

Pathetic but true!

The law states that they should be maintained until they have finished further education generally aged 24/25.

Absolutely shocking! Poor little buggers, didn't ask to be born!
Jo x

In Scotland LOTS of children have to sue a parent for a financial contribution towards their further education.

Really?? Where did that bit of information come from?

You are obviously going to "play games" with this!

Your D's sols are asking for your financial details because both parents have a financial contribution to their child/rens further education! - Have you read the information regarding the course that your D is about to undertake? If not why not?

Whether your ex lives a grander lifestyle with her partner than you is irrelevant! They work don't they!

Just to set the record straight - I am not playing games, if anyone is doing this it is my x and under her influence my D.

As you say it is down to BOTH parents to support D - not just me as they seem to be trying to say.
I have no problem with letting sol know what I earn - but don't see why I should have to account what I spend my money on. This may be different if the sol wasn't the same one used by my x (a conflict of interest surely!!). This would be different as well if they had provided me with information proving that they NEED me to contribute more but they seem to expect me to do this without doing it themselves.

I have always paid maintenance for my children and half (surely fair if BOTH parents are responsible) of some additional costs.
It may paint a clearer picture if you know that eldest D stopped contact with me because I refused to pay for the whole of a school trip to Germany after paying half of the skiing trip she went on the winter before through school (including spending money and providing all the clothing). I offered to pay half of the German trip but this wasn't good enough as her mother said she couldn't afford to pay the other half. The week following this x went out and bought a brand new car!! Incidently did her mother pay half of the skiing trip? No she made D go and get part-time job to pay for the other half. I haven't read the details of the course because I have not been provided with details of the course she is going to do and have been told by the sol not to contact D.

Please don't judge all father's by your experience - we are not all the same. I am not trying to dodge paying D and I have offered to pay some of maintenance direct to her but x refuses to adjust what she insists I pay to her and surely you don't think I should have to pay the same maintenance twice?

If D does go to college she will be eligible for financial support through the SAAS, she also has a part-time job and I already pay more maintenance to my x for both D's than I would if CSA made calculation. Given that she is staying at home while going to college (I believe she is to attend one within walking distance) there will be no additional costs, indeed you could argue that D will actually have more income and x will still get CB, etc.

I repeat that I am not trying to avoid paying but just want to pay what is fair.

Sorry if it sounds like I'm ranting on a bit but I do get annoyed when I get judged without knowing the full facts. Thanks Fiona for pointing out that we are not all the same.

Mike

Hi Mike

Does sound like it's your x that is putting pressure on your d to get more money from you - bit suspect having same sol too, but don't know if you can do anything about that.

Can't you object to her getting legal aid to do this as it does seem that if you are already paying what you should that there is no case?

I do get annoyed with mums like this who seem to want to take x to the cleaners I think they give mums like me who just try to do what is fair a bad name. Of course her view may be different - has she any reason for them to think you should be paying more than you are?

Good luck

Janey

Hi Janey

Have been told that I can object to Legal Aid Board, but only on grounds of costs of taking the case to court and I hope that it doesn't get that far.

As for why they think I've got more money- I actually earn less than I did when maintenance was agreed and they are maybe just assuming that should be earning more now, or they think that my now wifes income should be considered as I should have more disposable income. This is possibly true but only as a couple and x should also be in this position as she now has live-in partner, and D has own income. Just think as you say that they are just trying to get everything they can from me.

Mike