Advice About Child Maintainance Please

bluelass

Ok last weekend my stepson decided he no longer wants to be with his partner (mother of his son).
He has gone to live with a friend whilst his ex partner is still living in a house they were renting from a private landlord. She says she cannot afford to pay the rent on her own and my SS has told her she will have to move out because he will not be giving her any money towards the rent since he will no longer be residing there.
She has told us that he will be chased for maintainance for their son which he does have a legal duty to pay. But she says that with her wages and child benefit wont be enough to live has she got used to when they were together and expects my husband and dmyself to give her £700 a month.
My husband told her we are not responsible and she says she is going to see a family law solicitor.
My SS told us he didn't really want to have their son she and her mother pushed him into it and that is why he really doesn't want to pay for the lad but he knows it will be enforced by the CSA at some point.
He has met someone else who he was seeing for just after the boy was born and he might want to move in with her one day she has 6 children.
How much would he have to pay a month for one child?. His ex partner thinks she should get at least £800 but he wants us to pay it but my husband has said no.
Also if she cant afford the rent and has to move out can she force my SS to pay it so her and the lad can remain there.
She tells us her mum and dad have a large 3 bed and she can go back there rent free but she doesn't want to.

HappyMJ

She does not have to move if she doesn't want to.

Your SS should pay 17% of his gross income to the mother of his child to help her in the cost of bringing up the child on her own.

Your SS is liable for the rent whilst his name is on the tenancy agreement. To stop being liable he has to end the tenancy. He cannot just move out and no longer pay anything. He wouldn't be liable for any bills as they will all reduce due to the lower usage in the property. Council tax will also be reduced as there will only be one occupant so he won't be named on the bill any more.

Caroline_a

Why on earth should you pay?? The child is your step son's - maintenance is his liability, certainly not yours! You can get some info here - but that is for your step son, not for you!!

pigpen

If he didn't want the child he should have put something on it!

of course he should pay but it is dependent on what his income is. He should contact the child maintenance service and ask them to sort it or he could just say he would pay X amount to her each week or month and stick to it.. and pay it without being a tool about it.. beyond that he has no obligation to pay anything.. but helping out with school trips and uniforms and one off expensive parts of parenting would be nice.

breaking_free

Well hello fun times. :T It's another Bluelass thread (EPIC!). :beer:

Excuse me a moment while I pull up a comfy chair and prepare myself to be entertained.

TBagpuss

OK, as between your stepson and his landlord, your stepson will (assuming he and his ex were both on the lease) remain liable to the landlord for rent until the lease ends. If they are out of the iniial period and on a rolling lease then he may be able to give notice to end the tenancy but he will still be liable (jointly with his ex) until the property is vacated.
the land lord is free to pursue ither or both of them for all of the amounts owed.

He nad his ex may be able to agree with the landlord to vary the lease to remove his name.

He is laible to pay child support for his child. He can use the calculator on the CMO site to work out what he has to pay. http://www.cmoptions.org/en/calculator/

You don't have any liability for either the rent or the child support (unless of coure you agreed to ct as gaurantor for your step-son for the rent.

onomatopoeia99

A quick look at the child maintenance service site suggests 12% of the first £800/week gross salary for one child, unless he hearns less than £200 a week or more than £800 (there are a load of other factors to consider, so the whole document should be read)

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/325219/how-we-work-out-child-maintenance.pdf

fairy_lights

bluelass wrote: »

My SS told us he didn't really want to have their son she and her mother pushed him into it and that is why he really doesn't want to pay for the lad but he knows it will be enforced by the CSA at some point.
He has met someone else who he was seeing for just after the boy was born and he might want to move in with her one day she has 6 children.

Wow, he sounds like a total catch!

HappyMJ

bluelass wrote: »

I know he has a legal duty to pay maintainance pigpen I got it for my daughter.
The thing is this say if he has to pay £70 per week for example his ex partner says it isn't enough.
And if the boy wants holidays or school trips etc would he be legal bound to cover that too? or just have to pay the £70 and no more besides.

If the boy wants to go on holidays and school trips and your SS refuses to contribute then the boy will not be going on those holidays and school trips.

He's not legally obliged to pay towards them. His son just won't be going.

tea_lover

Tell them you can't afford it as you're funding a private school.

suki1964

bluelass wrote: »

I know he has a legal duty to pay maintainance pigpen I got it for my daughter.
The thing is this say if he has to pay £70 per week for example his ex partner says it isn't enough.
And if the boy wants holidays or school trips etc would he be legal bound to cover that too? or just have to pay the £70 and no more besides.

Legally no. Legally he has only to pay the maintenance as Awarded by the CSA or courts

Morally? Well that's a different matter...............