child maintenanace

AJH88

Hi Just looking for advice me and my ex split up after 9 years we have 2 kids i have them thursday 6pm till sunday pm but do have on days im not meant to have them when its school holidays im just wondering as she gets more money than i do because she claims benefits when i have the kids i pay for brand new clothes their school trips because when we split i didnt have no clothes for them an she kept sending them in clothes that didnt fit but apparently ishould pay her £250 a month 

jlfrs01

With Child Maintenance the paying parent pays a weekly or monthly figure based on a percentage of their income which varies on the number of children involved. 

The government's website has a handy calculator to help work out how much the paying parent should pay, here's a link to get started: 

https://www.gov.uk/calculate-child-maintenance


The figure will vary on how many nights the children stay with you and if you pick them up and drop them off you can offset any expenses as well, such as fuel for a car or train/bus fares

I am guessing the arrangement you have is one you've agreed to with your ex but you or they can go down the official CMS route and apply online. 

I reached agreement with my ex a few years ago on child maintenance payments and like you, was expected to pay towards school trips, holidays and school uniforms. When I checked how much I would pay if we went down the CMS route it would have been a lot more money so I kept schtum and coughed up. If that's your situation too after working out how much the CMS would want from you each month having checked the calculator then perhaps just suck it up. If not, use that as a negotiation tactic to get a reduction or not to pay for these extras.