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Private agreement or CSA

HRV
HRV Posts: 290 Forumite
in Child support
Looking for some advice on our situation. My partner has 2 children with his ex wife who live with her. We pay her £459 a month through a private agreement (when I asked my partner he said he never looked into how much the CSA would take!!) written up by solicitors to increase in line with inflation each year. However having read up on here and used the csa calculator it appears we are playing too much. Using the calculator and being on the cautious side about how many nights we have them we should be paying £324 ( if we went for the higher number of nights- which is prob more realistic we should be paying £270). Up to now I have just accepted this but having read something about CSA payments changing to 12% of gross income (does anyone know any more about it) I am a little concerned. If she decided to go through CSA at a later date we would end up worse off (due to partners high tax band because of company car etc). What do people think? Should we go back to her and try re negotiate or leave it?
ps. I am right in saying that they dont take my income into account (we live together)
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Comments

  • borders_dude
    borders_dude Posts: 1,974 Forumite
    HRV wrote: »
    Looking for some advice on our situation. My partner has 2 children with his ex wife who live with her. We pay her £459 a month through a private agreement (when I asked my partner he said he never looked into how much the CSA would take!!) written up by solicitors to increase in line with inflation each year. However having read up on here and used the csa calculator it appears we are playing too much. Using the calculator and being on the cautious side about how many nights we have them we should be paying £324 ( if we went for the higher number of nights- which is prob more realistic we should be paying £270). Up to now I have just accepted this but having read something about CSA payments changing to 12% of gross income (does anyone know any more about it) I am a little concerned. If she decided to go through CSA at a later date we would end up worse off (due to partners high tax band because of company car etc). What do people think? Should we go back to her and try re negotiate or leave it?
    ps. I am right in saying that they dont take my income into account (we live together)

    Its always worth having a bash at coming to an agreement that will be stuck to before going through the CSA as it can cause a lot of upset!
    When dealing with the CSA its important to note that it is commonly accepted as unfit for purpose, and by default this also means the staff are unfit for purpose.
  • HRV
    HRV Posts: 290 Forumite
    we really dont want to go through csa but it may be a case of getting onto csa 2 before csa3 kicks in- does anyone know when that will happen.

    We really dont want to put her back up but it may be a case of safeguarding our future.

    We thought of may be saying that there will be no more pay rises each year until it catches up with what the csa say it should be- so she'll do very well for quite a few more years.
  • borders_dude
    borders_dude Posts: 1,974 Forumite
    HRV wrote: »
    we really dont want to go through csa but it may be a case of getting onto csa 2 before csa3 kicks in- does anyone know when that will happen.

    Have HM Government announced there is going to be a third system?
    When dealing with the CSA its important to note that it is commonly accepted as unfit for purpose, and by default this also means the staff are unfit for purpose.
  • kelloggs36
    kelloggs36 Posts: 7,712 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Oh borders - you are so behind!!!!! Yes, that is why CMAC was set up - to phase out CS2 and bring in CS3 where gross income is to be used. Don't know when that is supposed to be though.
  • speedster
    speedster Posts: 1,300 Forumite
    kelloggs36 wrote: »
    Oh borders - you are so behind!!!!! Yes, that is why CMAC was set up - to phase out CS2 and bring in CS3 where gross income is to be used. Don't know when that is supposed to be though.

    don't make me laugh!! :rotfl:

    they've taken nearly 5 years to go from csa1 to csa2 (unsuccessfully)

    my daughter will be married with her own kids by the time cmec comes into force.

    they reckon 2011 at the latest. i'll bet you my house it wont be in till, at the very earliest, 2016. :T
    NEVER ARGUE WITH AN IDIOT. THEY'LL DRAG YOU DOWN TO THEIR LEVEL AND BEAT YOU WITH EXPERIENCE.

    and, please. only thank when appropriate. not to boost idiots egos.
  • speedster
    speedster Posts: 1,300 Forumite
    HRV.

    how old are the children now?
    NEVER ARGUE WITH AN IDIOT. THEY'LL DRAG YOU DOWN TO THEIR LEVEL AND BEAT YOU WITH EXPERIENCE.

    and, please. only thank when appropriate. not to boost idiots egos.
  • borders_dude
    borders_dude Posts: 1,974 Forumite
    kelloggs36 wrote: »
    Oh borders - you are so behind!!!!! Yes, that is why CMAC was set up - to phase out CS2 and bring in CS3 where gross income is to be used. Don't know when that is supposed to be though.

    Oops, blonde moment!
    When dealing with the CSA its important to note that it is commonly accepted as unfit for purpose, and by default this also means the staff are unfit for purpose.
  • borders_dude
    borders_dude Posts: 1,974 Forumite
    And another thing, I always wondered why their website is a .org one rather than a .gov.uk?

    http://www.childmaintenance.org
    When dealing with the CSA its important to note that it is commonly accepted as unfit for purpose, and by default this also means the staff are unfit for purpose.
  • kelloggs36
    kelloggs36 Posts: 7,712 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    speedster wrote: »
    don't make me laugh!! :rotfl:

    they've taken nearly 5 years to go from csa1 to csa2 (unsuccessfully)

    my daughter will be married with her own kids by the time cmec comes into force.

    they reckon 2011 at the latest. i'll bet you my house it wont be in till, at the very earliest, 2016. :T

    They gave up on CS1 conversion due to the software being so bad it wasn't worth the cost or the aggro! With any luck (any pigs out of the window??) they may learn from the lessons of last time before doing it this time - but then they said that last time!!!
  • Dancing_Shoes
    Dancing_Shoes Posts: 419 Forumite
    The problem is that there are rumours that the nrp's will have to pay for the "privilage" of going on to csa3:rolleyes:
    Also how are they going to manage the people on csa1 who are getting alot more than they will get on csa3? In the pwc's case if they are worse off then I bet there will be phasing but not if the nrp os worse off...just tough for them:mad:
    :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:
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