Child maintenance to 18 year old

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chesky
chesky Posts: 1,341 Forumite
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in Marriage, relationships & families
Is it legally possible to pay child maintenance direct to an 18 year old going to university, rather than to their mother?
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  • Mojisola
    Mojisola Posts: 35,557 Forumite
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    Doesn't CM stop when Child Benefit is stopped?

    No-one could claim CB for a uni student.

    There's nothing to stop a parent giving financial support directly to their child.
  • mattpaint
    mattpaint Posts: 294 Forumite
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    It depends on what the court order/agreement says.
  • Mojisola
    Mojisola Posts: 35,557 Forumite
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    chesky wrote: »
    Is it legally possible to pay child maintenance direct to an 18 year old going to university, rather than to their mother?
    mattpaint wrote: »
    It depends on what the court order/agreement says.

    If there's a court order for CM then it would have to be paid to the resident parent, not the child.
  • chesky
    chesky Posts: 1,341 Forumite
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    There is no court order.
  • chesky
    chesky Posts: 1,341 Forumite
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    Sorry, perhaps I should give more information (it's not me, by the way). When they split up about twelve years ago, they had an unofficial agreement about how much he paid. After several months, she involved the CSA as it was then. After making their calculations they told him he was paying too much and he could reduce it. He didn't. 12 years on, they are both earning very similar salaries and their son will be going to university next year - A levels allowing. At present he pays her two-thirds of his maintenance and gives his son one-third as an allowance. As far as I know she has not objected to this arrangement. Their son spends most weekends with his father, plus one night in the week. As I said before, dad would prefer giving the money involved to his son whilst at uni.
  • Mojisola
    Mojisola Posts: 35,557 Forumite
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    Mojisola wrote: »
    Doesn't CM stop when Child Benefit is stopped?

    No-one could claim CB for a uni student.

    There's nothing to stop a parent giving financial support directly to their child.
    chesky wrote: »
    When they split up about twelve years ago, they had an unofficial agreement about how much he paid.

    After several months, she involved the CSA as it was then.

    As I said before, dad would prefer giving the money involved to his son whilst at uni.

    Then, as before, his legal obligation to pay the mother money will stop when CB stops.

    The father can pay whatever he wants to whoever he wants.
  • mattpaint
    mattpaint Posts: 294 Forumite
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    chesky wrote: »
    Sorry, perhaps I should give more information (it's not me, by the way). When they split up about twelve years ago, they had an unofficial agreement about how much he paid. After several months, she involved the CSA as it was then. After making their calculations they told him he was paying too much and he could reduce it. He didn't. 12 years on, they are both earning very similar salaries and their son will be going to university next year - A levels allowing. At present he pays her two-thirds of his maintenance and gives his son one-third as an allowance. As far as I know she has not objected to this arrangement. Their son spends most weekends with his father, plus one night in the week. As I said before, dad would prefer giving the money involved to his son whilst at uni.

    Then yes he can. As soon as he is no longer legally required to give the money to the child's mother, he can give it to his son.
  • maman
    maman Posts: 28,587 Forumite
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    mattpaint wrote: »
    Then yes he can. As soon as he is no longer legally required to give the money to the child's mother, he can give it to his son.


    That's true.


    But just some food for thought for your 'friend' OP.


    There was a long thread on here recently about parental contributions to 'children' at university. Briefly, the OP found it hard to accept that any grant/loan that a child receives will be means tested on parental income and the parent(s) expected to make up the shortfall so that the child can live and eat on top of the tuition fees.


    So your friend might want to consider what sort of loan his child will get, how much accommodation will cost, what his mother will contribute etc. and then give him money accordingly. It would help if the parents could discuss it.
  • chesky
    chesky Posts: 1,341 Forumite
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    maman wrote: »
    That's true.


    But just some food for thought for your 'friend' OP.


    So your friend might want to consider what sort of loan his child will get, how much accommodation will cost, what his mother will contribute etc. and then give him money accordingly. It would help if the parents could discuss it.

    I'm sure they will discuss it - they're not on bad terms. He just wanted to know the legal situation in good time, before deciding any possible action.

    And I don't think I said it was a friend - with or without quotation marks.
  • clearingout
    clearingout Posts: 3,290 Forumite
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    Are you expecting your ex to maintain a home for him for long uni holidays? Will you expect him to get free board whilst he is at uni? If so, you may want to consider something to cover half the cost of having him at home - uni holidays are long and can place a high financial burden on parents who are on a low income.
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