how much a month

HI

My ex pays me a monthly amount for child support which we agreed to for the Consent Order and to be reassesed each year . His monthly wage varies so we worked it out based on his last p60 . there are 3 children so he based it on 25% of net earnings then deducted 3/7 as wanted them 3 nights a week . This was agreed by me although felt the 3/7 deduction very unfair since I pay for everything but this is the csa formula and was under a lot of stress and wanted an end to it .

This latest tax year ,I know he has earned considerably more but is refusing to reassess it . I know I will have to wait til nov to go to the csa since this is when the consent order will have run a year. The problem is how will they work it out.. will it be based on his last p60, and we also disagree on the deduction ... he had them only 139 nights which puts the dedution to 2/7 but he says how will I prove it and he will say he had them 156 nights which puts it to 3/7. The reason he is under on the nights is that he had some holidays even though when here he has them 3 nights a week .. I do have copies of the monthly calender I produce which shows where the children stay and when ...is that enough proof . This financial year , he is on for about the same number of nights as He has emailed me all the dates he is unable to have them due to trips away .

Help please

CSA will base it on previous 2 months payslips.

Always gets complicated when you start arguing over how many nights they stay at each house with CSA involved and usually leads to animosity.

Also expect CSA to take several months to calculate an assessment and for your ex to stop making any payments when he gets MEF until date payments start.

If you can avoid CSA they are best avoided in my opinion but if you have no option you will have to.

sounds like you would both like a formula that will help you decide the payments each year without having to go thru all this!

I agree that csa is not brilliant. If you had a mediation meeting to help you discuss this you could for example, agree that child support was reviewed in April each year based on P60 and number of o/nights in previous year.

Hiya,

I can understand your frustration when you don't get the payments you think you aught to.

However if you turn this into a battle - for what amounts to a few quid, this could set the scene for the future.

When NRPs voluntarily pay CM, they also tend to stay empathetic to the PWC and in the future if the child(ren) need added funds for something often contribute additionally.

However many NRPs that have contributed voluntarily, but then have been *forced* to pay a few quid more, then feel that thats all they will pay regardless.

Of course there are people who don't fit into this category, but what I'm trying to say is pick your battles, if you can manage on the CM he is paying and have the ability to stay amicable or civil, its more beneficial to remain this way - who knows what will happen in the future.

Rather than force him to pay more via CSA, it may be worth asking him if he can take over payment on an after school activity or buy the new term school uniforms etc.

Hope it all works out for you!

WR