What is financial responsibilities to step-children

full-time-mum

If a bloke marries a women who already has children, he obviously has to accept that he is going to be bearing some of the financial burden of raising them.

However, does marrying mean the children's biological father is absolved from his financial obligations?

What happens if the marriage subsequently fails - is the step father then expected to pay maintanence as if he had been the biological father?

I've tried googling and can only really find information relating to parental responsibility which the new bloke doesn't automatically get when he marries.

FBaby

Of course it doesn't mean the father is abolved of financial responsibility. Mum marrying someone else doesn't make their dad less their dad. The step-dad is not financially responsible for the children, he is responsible for his partner and her responsibility whilst with her. this means that yes, he would support her children whilst together, but not if they separate.

BitterAndTwisted

A biological father has the legal and moral obligation to contribute towards the children's upkeep. The mother re-marrying doesn't change that. A step-father, once divorced, won't be expected to make contributions for some-one else's children unless he has formally adopted them when married.

vax2002

It basically means he will be daddy when it suits and only the step dad when it does not and money is usually the arguing factor.
Example: Child needs a new bed and new clothes, thats step fathers job !
Child needs to be told off for misbehaving, thats not stepfathers Job.
easy.

Marisco

What a strange question!! Why on earth would a "step" be liable for maintenance if they split up??? The only person liable to pay maintenance is the biological father.

full-time-mum

Marisco wrote: »

What a strange question!!

I don't dispute this but someone once told me they would be responsible for maintenance of their step-children if they split because they had been supporting them for a number of years as if they were their father.

Thought it odd at the time but didn't know anyone likely to be in that position until now...

Ravenlady_2

Its a common myth along with getting pregnant from a toilet seat, Eating crusts will turn your hair curly and you catch cold from not wearing socks.

I cant fathom why anyone would actually believe it.

full-time-mum

Ravenlady wrote: »

Its a common myth along with getting pregnant from a toilet seat, Eating crusts will turn your hair curly and you catch cold from not wearing socks.

I cant fathom why anyone would actually believe it.

Maybe, because sometimes the law seems to defy logic.

neverdespairgirl

Marisco wrote: »

What a strange question!! Why on earth would a "step" be liable for maintenance if they split up??? The only person liable to pay maintenance is the biological father.

Unless the step-parent adopts.

LegalBlonde

I think in America if an alimony settlement was agreed, it is cancelled if the mother remarries (and maybe recalculated to consider everyone's means). Mind you I am only basing this on Two and a Half Men.

Marisco

Ravenlady wrote: »

Its a common myth along with getting pregnant from a toilet seat, Eating crusts will turn your hair curly and you catch cold from not wearing socks.

:rotfl:Those take me back a bit!!!:eek: Along with, don't sit on cold stones you'll get piles, don't wash your hair when on your period, don't go out with wet hair, you'll get a cold, don't wear damp clothes you'll get rheumatism etc etc :rotfl: And we believed them!!! :eek: