How can this be right?

Hi all,
My ex is a very wealthy man, 2 huge houses, a few nice new cars...holidays all the time with his wife and THEIR child (he doesnt take the 2 children him and I have).
He has his own business.
Well the CSA collared him about a year ago for over £150 a week based on his accounts...I was thrilled..a few weeks later his accountant changed his circumstances saying he was now only earning £104 a week and so the maintenance dropped to £5 a week...and a few weeks after that his accountant said he was now earning nothing and being supported (his wife is his P.A.!!) and I get nothing.
The CSA are doing criminal compliance as his lifestyle is not consistent with what he claims to have coming in.
So he is claiming his business is not operating anymore, that he has no income but his lifestyle is so glamorous so I asked a few weeks ago how he managed to live as he does with no income (he had just emailed me to cancel some contact in favour of a 2 week holiday abroad)..and his email back said "well, of course I had income protection insurance for my family"..by my family he means him, wife and their child.
I called the CSA and said that if the insurance was supporting an enviable lifestyle then surely he should be paying some of it in child support and apparently he shouldnt.
My ex has never wanted to give me any money for the children and I know exactly what he's done..insured himself to the hilt and then wound his business down..and I said as much to the CSA...this seems so wrong.
Criminal compliance dont give me updates...seem to have been working on my case forever and I'm poverty stricken!
Lou x

I doubt that income-protection insurance can be taken out for self-employed businesses; if it can be, there would be a limit to it.

If the insurance was taken out knowing that it was going to be claimed upon, that would be wrong in itself.

Maybe your ex resents the CSA. Have you tried coming to a private arangement with him? What are the access arrangements re. the children?

Thanks for your message.
My ex left me but literally wanted me out of his life immediately...he took my car off me (it was through his business), cancelled all utility bills and gave me no money..all within a few days of walking out to be with his now wife...hes a nasty piece of work.
After 10 years together he didnt look back...he reckons that the money "he" (we both set the business up, I worked in it but didnt get anything from it as we wernt married) spent on the family in the 10 years we were together.
I have a copy of a letter he sent to the CSA saying that while he didnt mind treating the kids when they were with him he wasnt intending on benefitting me in any way, that he had a new life and new child and they were his main focus...I couldnt believe my eyes when I got it!
He has open access although he chose to move a 2,5 hour drive away from his kids so it's usually every other weekend and 5 weeks in the school hols (often cancelled due to his exessive travelling). I have never witheld contact.
Loux

Hi Lou,
The CSA seem to be entirely without power when it comes to those who are self-employed and their accountants. Clearly there are loopholes that need closing in this respect. Facing much the same difficulty, as you know, although I have come to the conclusion that stbx really doesn't have any money but is just too proud to admit it! In which case he is running up CSA arrears like there's no tomorrow which will, finally, result in some kind of action on their part, I'm sure.

There's nothing to be done about this kind of thing, Lou. Your own conscience is clear and you can sleep at night. Hold on to that. The children will work out what's happened, given time. They will respect you in years to come, far more than they are going to afford him. It's sad, but what can you do?

Blimey Lou, this seems grossly unfair! I don't know what to advise tbh, and I hope, like mumtoboys points out, your children will see the full picture once they are old enough to make their own minds up.

what a creep he is. unfortunatley the criminal compliance team have many difficulties in proving incompatible lifestyle without something concrete to work on. if he has a working partner he can always claim she is supporting their lifestyle. i think you will have to resign yourself to the fact that you chose a pig to father your children. however i am a firm believer in that what goes a round comes around. one day when he is old lonely and decrepid and turns to your children for support and love ; they will unceremoniously drop him off at the grottiest old folks home , bid him farewell and never look back.

Bless you all!
His wife works for him!!
The CSA have already visited their new home and the woman from criminal compliance phoned me and said "I've been to see his house, lets say no more"...basically its a 6 bed on an exclusive development bought when he wife was 8 months pregnant and he was apparently earning (acording to his accountant) just £104 a week.
He is atrocious...a swine of a man...and I am waiting patiently for his demise.
I am a "nice" person but he's pushed me to hate him!
Lou x