Child Support from Ex Without "Steady Job"

raelill

I'm hoping you can help. I am mid-divorce and my ex and I have agreed to go to mediation to sort out finances and custody of the children to try to avoid extortionate legal bills. We had our first joint mediation yesterday.

During the conversation the mediator asked about our income. I currently have two jobs and receive tax credits which means I receive about £1500 income a month.

My ex used to run a business converting campervans from a workshop in the garden of the marital home. Since the separation he has closed the business. He told the mediator that he is currently doing odds and sods, working for friends and as a contractor on seasonal jobs. He said that this month he has only earned £100.

My question is that I thought that he had to show that he is able to support himself financially. He has no intention of finding a full time job and at the moment I have no hope of receiving any time of child support from him.

If he does not have an income can the courts ask me to sell the house to pay his part of the equity in the house? He is saying he wants it so he can get his own place but if he's not earning he has no way of paying mortgage or rent. I feel like I'm still supporting him even though he's been gone for nearly a year.

I'm trying very hard to keep the mediation pleasant so didn't want to say this time round "Shouldn't you just get a full time job", but it's getting very hard to bite my tongue when I work two jobs to support myself and my two children.

Any advice would be gratefully received.
Thanks

NotSuchASmugMarriedNow

He's fibbing about his income. No-one can live on £100 a month so he must be getting more.


And of course if he is only earning £100 a month then he can't afford a mortgage.

DUTR

raelill wrote: »

I'm hoping you can help. I am mid-divorce and my ex and I have agreed to go to mediation to sort out finances and custody of the children to try to avoid extortionate legal bills. We had our first joint mediation yesterday.

During the conversation the mediator asked about our income. I currently have two jobs and receive tax credits which means I receive about £1500 income a month.

My ex used to run a business converting campervans from a workshop in the garden of the marital home. Since the separation he has closed the business. He told the mediator that he is currently doing odds and sods, working for friends and as a contractor on seasonal jobs. He said that this month he has only earned £100.

My question is that I thought that he had to show that he is able to support himself financially. He has no intention of finding a full time job and at the moment I have no hope of receiving any time of child support from him.

If he does not have an income can the courts ask me to sell the house to pay his part of the equity in the house? He is saying he wants it so he can get his own place but if he's not earning he has no way of paying mortgage or rent. I feel like I'm still supporting him even though he's been gone for nearly a year.

I'm trying very hard to keep the mediation pleasant so didn't want to say this time round "Shouldn't you just get a full time job", but it's getting very hard to bite my tongue when I work two jobs to support myself and my two children.

Any advice would be gratefully received.
Thanks

Isn't the point of mediation to come to some fair arrangement?
If he has his equity in the house then it will put him a good way to getting his own place, just as if the tables were turned.