Apprenticeship and child maintenance

Maggiemoomon

Hi

My daughter starts a job this month as an apprentice administrator. In September she will start day release to college 1 day a week. She will be earning a wage of £100 per week in the first year rising thereafter.

My court order for child maintenance states I have to pay until she is 17 yrs old or completes full time education.

When do I legally have to cease paying child maintenance to my ex partner?

I am intending on paying some money to her directly.

Any advice much appreciated

shoe*diva79

If your ex wife is in receipt of child benefit then child maintenance is due. Have you got a CSA case or just the court order? If you stop paying and she is still legally entitled then she can open a CMS case if you cannot come to an agreement.

Some apprenticeships are classed as education for child benefit purposes, you can get more info here;
https://www.gov.uk/child-benefit-16-19

Maggiemoomon

Hi thanks for response.

I spoke with child maintenance options and they confirmed that this type of apprenticeship is not classed as full time education and maintenance payment under any of the other schemes would stop the term after she left college.

I also spoke with the child benefit office and they also confirmed that as this is a paid apprenticeship and the day release to college forms part of her employment therefore child benefit would also stop as this is classed as full time employment.

Although having spoken to two family lawyers neither of them could offer me a diffinitive answer on whether the court order should now come to an end, they both said they thought it likely but couldn't say 100%.

Do you think I have enough to now notify my partner of my intension to cease payments (in the timescale advised by the CMO) and being the Maintenance order to an end?

Many thanks

Maggiemoomon

Hi thanks for response.

I spoke with child maintenance options and they confirmed that this type of apprenticeship is not classed as full time education and maintenance payment under any of the other schemes would stop the term after she left college.

I also spoke with the child benefit office and they also confirmed that as this is a paid apprenticeship and the day release to college forms part of her employment therefore child benefit would also stop as this is classed as full time employment.

Although having spoken to two family lawyers neither of them could offer me a diffinitive answer on whether the court order should now come to an end, they both said they thought it likely but couldn't say 100%.

Do you think I have enough to now notify my partner of my intension to cease payments (in the timescale advised by the CMO) and bring the Maintenance court order to an end?

Many thanks[/QUOTE]

shoe*diva79

The child benefit website states that CB ceases on 31st Aug after they finish education. If you have a good relationship with your ex wife then she can tell you when CB ceases to be paid if its before then? If not, then I would say give her notice now that you cease from 1st September.