Im looking for some accurate info please. Lets assume CSA has never been involved in a child maintenance case. Private arrangement has always been agreed and never faultered on since child was 3 yrs old. At what age would it be reasonable to stop payments without the mother being able to take the situation to an official body (and get involved in back payments etc messy etc etc)??

Reason i ask is my daughter turned 16 in May this year. Stopped on at school. I was under the impression i may get away only paying whilst she is 16 (ie up until 17th birthday) but there may be a 'whilst in full time education' rule. Anyone know the ins and outs?

If i say gave the mother 6 months notice then stopped on 17th birthday, could she get loads of back pay and drop me in the clarts? Ive never seen my daughter since she was 3 (but do texts and send prezzies) so kind of thought about saying im stopping he money but prepared to treat her if she starts to come round etc.

Its a funny old world int' it??

You have incoming.

Thanks Jon, replied.

Speak to a local sol - you'll get at least 30 minutes for free.

Don't get me started on the CSA either.

Pat...

Yeah, sounds like a legal advice matter.

I have no issue paying my way - just dont want to go beyond what i have to from a legal point of view (ie want to stop once i now the CSA have no further interest).



Ive been really fortunate that CSA has never been involved and therefore probs get off lightly. No desire to rock the boat but need to know at what point its safe to stop. Being young when we made the agreement we overlooked that slight matter of the exit strategy!!

I have no answers for you in this case Darren, but I know what you're going through so I hope it sorts itself out without too much pain...

Steve

I understand that you pay until they are 18 or until they finish full time education

Cheers

Mark

i also thought you paid while in full time education.i think the csa has a website were you can find out how much you should be paying it might also tell you how long
http://csa.gov.uk/


[Edited on 12/10/07 by higgsti]

[Edited on 12/10/07 by higgsti]

I think it's full time education aswell.

I cant find out how long you have to pay on the CSA site. Maybe not looking hard enough.

As before, im not paying cSA as such, just dont want to stop private payments until i know im safe. Looks like there is some way to go yet....... will it ever end?

http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20060824140858AAK91OD

[Edited on 12/10/07 by higgsti]
http://www.sfla.co.uk/endmaintenance.htm

[Edited on 12/10/07 by higgsti]

dont know the inns and outs but a freind of mine had dealing with the CSA lets just say they put a sain man within inches of taking his own life.

But anyway just a note to say that my freind stopped his assocation with the CSA when his ex wife got re-maried and they adopted his daughter may or may not have some bearing.

I would be supprised if they could go back further that 5 years. But look at the other side this is an organistion that costs 75p for every 100p they collect and they stuggle to get that right.

HTH

Agriv8

Yeah, but from the other side my step kids (who I love dearly) Dad is a 'professional' disabled person - ie when it suits him - and I've never seen a penny from him towards their upkeep. CSA can't touch him because he's 'disabled' yet he can afford to go on holiday for 3 weeks in the school holidays........(people with kids will understand that one)

As I said I love them so I realy don't mind spending the money on the things that give them a good childhood - their dad calling me a tosser for doing it in front of them you have to wonder about especially when he has money - but he just wont spend it on them........

[Edited on 12/10/07 by D Beddows]

The csa can only take money off of you from the day the mother calls them to make a claim, they dont do backdated payments.

If the claim has been logged with the csa and it has taken two years to track down the father, you would be taken for two years worth.

I reckon your best bet would be to go on the csa website, put your wage details in the calculator jobbie and it will tell you what you have to pay. If i were you, i would stash the amount it gives you in a seperate account and stop paying the mother, if she comes at you with a claim, the moneys there waiting.

I have my son more than his mother does and she took me to the csa and won, apparently, because she gets the child benefit for him, i automatically lose ! hows that fair ?? I tried to dispute it but they just take it out of my pay so theres nothing i can do. I would gladly pay for his upkeep if i was a weekend only dad but im one of the lucky few who see's him loads so i just stomach the money bit......

Good luck

Higgsti has it right, darren, if you look on the csa website in the glossary... under c for child it says..."child... under sixteen or under 19 if in full time, non advanced education. (no higher than A level)." Off their own website, they couldn't argue..keith

quote:

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Originally posted by Andybarbet
The csa can only take money off of you from the day the mother calls them to make a claim, they dont do backdated payments.

If the claim has been logged with the csa and it has taken two years to track down the father, you would be taken for two years worth.

I reckon your best bet would be to go on the csa website, put your wage details in the calculator jobbie and it will tell you what you have to pay. If i were you, i would stash the amount it gives you in a seperate account and stop paying the mother, if she comes at you with a claim, the moneys there waiting.

I have my son more than his mother does and she took me to the csa and won, apparently, because she gets the child benefit for him, i automatically lose ! hows that fair ?? I tried to dispute it but they just take it out of my pay so theres nothing i can do. I would gladly pay for his upkeep if i was a weekend only dad but im one of the lucky few who see's him loads so i just stomach the money bit......

Good luck

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quote:

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I understand that you pay until they are 18 or until they finish full time education

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quote:

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I used to have my daughter more than mother, but copped for it. I now go all the way to Manchester every Friday night to pick her up and take her home every Sunday (80 mile round trip) and the CSA wouldn't take that into consideration. It would be cheaper for just not to see her!
I've done it almost every weekend for the last 9 years now.

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At the risk of being flamed and banned I think you should look at things from a different perspective considering your moral rather than legal responsibility.

When they become 16 or 18 or 21 they don't suddenly become free to keep.

My 2nd lad is 18 and costing me £200 a month at uni and will proably cost me that and more for the next 5 years until he qualifies.

I think you should pay as much and for as long as you believe she is still your responsibility.

Sorry and maybe it's niaive and idealistic but I think our society is all about what we can get away with these days rather than what is morally right.

I'll get my coat.

quote:

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Originally posted by pajsh
At the risk of being flamed and banned I think you should look at things from a different perspective considering your moral rather than legal responsibility.

When they become 16 or 18 or 21 they don't suddenly become free to keep.

My 2nd lad is 18 and costing me £200 a month at uni and will proably cost me that and more for the next 5 years until he qualifies.

I think you should pay as much and for as long as you believe she is still your responsibility.

Sorry and maybe it's niaive and idealistic but I think our society is all about what we can get away with these days rather than what is morally right.

I'll get my coat.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by pajsh
At the risk of being flamed and banned I think you should look at things from a different perspective considering your moral rather than legal responsibility.

When they become 16 or 18 or 21 they don't suddenly become free to keep.

My 2nd lad is 18 and costing me £200 a month at uni and will proably cost me that and more for the next 5 years until he qualifies.

I think you should pay as much and for as long as you believe she is still your responsibility.

Sorry and maybe it's niaive and idealistic but I think our society is all about what we can get away with these days rather than what is morally right.

I'll get my coat.

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SHOCK
""Ive never seen my daughter since she was 3 ""
thats so sad,
I KNOW A GUY WHO HAS WENT TO HIS X PARTNERS DOOR EVRY SATERDAY FOR NEARLY A YEAR NOW AND ASKED TO SEE HIS SON WHEN SHE SAYS NO HE HAS HIS MATE TAKE A PHOTO OF HIM HOLDIND THAT SAT PAPER AT HER DOOR AS PROOF HES TRED TO SEE HIS 2 YEAR OLD SON.
i know that you pay untill the finish there full time education my mates son is going to be a doctor hes now 20 ans has 3 years left at uni and the csa makes him pay
here is the thing i bet the csa will charge a lot more than your x partner so just pay it as the csa will rape you.
and it will make your kid turn more against you.

quote:

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Originally posted by mookaloid
I understand that you pay until they are 18 or until they finish full time education

Cheers

Mark

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I think everybody who is-
getting married
or
starting a relationship
or
doing ANYTHING that might result in a pregnancy
should be made to read this thread

Thanks all. Some interesting views. It is a highly emotive subject and everyone is different. I do feel very lucky that the CSA has never been involved.

For me the morality of seeing my daughter isnt in question really. To be honest paying the maintenance isnt an issue either. Im just curious from a legal point of view how long i have to pay etc. I fully expect that when she is ready she will come and see me. Whilst i dont see her we do text (and her mother fully knows about this), and the texts are rather nice. When i stop the maintenance i will be overjoyed to be able to assist her in other ways when the opportunity comes up. All of my payments are to my daughter directly into her bank account.

It was just the legal side of things i was curious about. As she is quite clever and already started A levels i guess worst case legally is until she turns 19. She will actually just turn 18 when she does her exams so if the legal standing is until she finishes these then it seems to be until that September (ie when the next term starts).

University is indeed an expensive time also so im kind of thinking if i still dont see her at that point then maybe i could pay for all her books or some other kind of good will gesture.

Just been reading up on the responses to this.... I am lucky to say that I found and married my best friend and we have two grown up kids (hence the spare money to build the car)..

She also works for the CSA.....and has been doing so from the outset.

Yes, I have heard the good news and the bad news, some cases that she can't discuss and those items you read in the news (one version) and what actually has happened.

She has worked with both sides, helping the mother after the father has run away and refuses to pay for looking after his kids and the distraught father finding his wife flying off to some other country and completely abandons the kids.

She reads in some cases what has caused the break up and sometimes it is very nasty......she has also been on the phone lines and took all the abuse or rants and has taught me some new words which I did not know. It has affected me as well knowing what she has to look foward to, I don't know how she has puts up with it day in, day out.

She says that the child or children come first....and thru the formula (which has changed a number of times over the years) makes sure things are fair and explained to both sides.

She can't discuss any case or make enquires into a case that she is not working on, but can give general guidance if asked to do so.

I'll let her read the emails and we will see if she wants to respond.....

regards

TimR

It just happens that her in doors is working a late shift tonight and I informed her of some of the questions that came up...this is with no specific case in question....names have been changed etc...not to cause any arguments or upset anyone....but if you need to u2u be my guest. This is from her in doors......

There is a lot of myth banded around about what the child support agency can and cannot do. So thought I would clear a few points up for you.

These are some of the general rules by which the CSA operates

1 A Child is a Child until - he/she leaves school (maintenance is payable up until the first Monday in September of the year they leave school) provided they do not go on to further education (College full time)

2. If the child goes from school in to full time college then child maintenance will continue until the child's 19th birthday. (for all your friends who are talking about the Agency charging after this date - sorry but they are misleading everyone - 'cause believe me everything STOPS at age 19 regardless or whether they are still in education or not.)

By the way University is not considered child education - so if any of you gents are paying child maintenance for your children at university or are over the age of 19 years than I suggest you have a talk to the other halfs as you do not have to and the Agency will not become involved with arranging maintenance for any child who has reached their 19th birthday.

3. For the gent who is worried about arrears of maintenance if a case is opened (she means a new case..).

Maintenance will only be payable from the date he is asked to provide information - arrears of maintenance will only accrue from this date. Any time previous payments or arrears of payments are not to be considered, asked for, or arranged by the Agency. So stop worring about being asked to pay arrears for any period prior to the Agency becoming involved.

4. All new requests for assessment will be on the new child support system. A ball park figure is
- for one child - 15% net (note NET income that’s after tax and National insurance has been deducted)
- for two children - 20% of net income
and for 3 or more children - 25% of net income.

There are a few things which might be considered but this is the general rule for the new system so work it out for yourself how much it is going to cost you if you want to go in another direction. This applies to both sexes (look at Britney Spears!!).

regards

Her in Doors...