What is financial responsibilities to step-children

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full-time-mum
full-time-mum Posts: 1,962 Forumite
in Marriage, relationships & families
If a bloke marries a women who already has children, he obviously has to accept that he is going to be bearing some of the financial burden of raising them.

However, does marrying mean the children's biological father is absolved from his financial obligations?

What happens if the marriage subsequently fails - is the step father then expected to pay maintanence as if he had been the biological father?

I've tried googling and can only really find information relating to parental responsibility which the new bloke doesn't automatically get when he marries.
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  • FBaby
    FBaby Posts: 18,367 Forumite
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    Of course it doesn't mean the father is abolved of financial responsibility. Mum marrying someone else doesn't make their dad less their dad. The step-dad is not financially responsible for the children, he is responsible for his partner and her responsibility whilst with her. this means that yes, he would support her children whilst together, but not if they separate.
  • BitterAndTwisted
    BitterAndTwisted Posts: 22,492 Forumite
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    A biological father has the legal and moral obligation to contribute towards the children's upkeep. The mother re-marrying doesn't change that. A step-father, once divorced, won't be expected to make contributions for some-one else's children unless he has formally adopted them when married.
  • vax2002
    vax2002 Posts: 7,187 Forumite
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    It basically means he will be daddy when it suits and only the step dad when it does not and money is usually the arguing factor.
    Example: Child needs a new bed and new clothes, thats step fathers job !
    Child needs to be told off for misbehaving, thats not stepfathers Job.
    easy.
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  • Marisco
    Marisco Posts: 42,036 Forumite
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    What a strange question!! Why on earth would a "step" be liable for maintenance if they split up??? The only person liable to pay maintenance is the biological father.
  • full-time-mum
    full-time-mum Posts: 1,962 Forumite
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    Marisco wrote: »
    What a strange question!!

    I don't dispute this but someone once told me they would be responsible for maintenance of their step-children if they split because they had been supporting them for a number of years as if they were their father.

    Thought it odd at the time but didn't know anyone likely to be in that position until now...
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  • Ravenlady_2
    Ravenlady_2 Posts: 510 Forumite
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    Its a common myth along with getting pregnant from a toilet seat, Eating crusts will turn your hair curly and you catch cold from not wearing socks.

    I cant fathom why anyone would actually believe it.
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  • full-time-mum
    full-time-mum Posts: 1,962 Forumite
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    Ravenlady wrote: »
    Its a common myth along with getting pregnant from a toilet seat, Eating crusts will turn your hair curly and you catch cold from not wearing socks.

    I cant fathom why anyone would actually believe it.

    Maybe, because sometimes the law seems to defy logic.
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  • neverdespairgirl
    neverdespairgirl Posts: 16,501 Forumite
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    Marisco wrote: »
    What a strange question!! Why on earth would a "step" be liable for maintenance if they split up??? The only person liable to pay maintenance is the biological father.

    Unless the step-parent adopts.
    ...much enquiry having been made concerning a gentleman, who had quitted a company where Johnson was, and no information being obtained; at last Johnson observed, that 'he did not care to speak ill of any man behind his back, but he believed the gentleman was an attorney'.
  • LegalBlonde
    LegalBlonde Posts: 1,183 Forumite
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    I think in America if an alimony settlement was agreed, it is cancelled if the mother remarries (and maybe recalculated to consider everyone's means). Mind you I am only basing this on Two and a Half Men.
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  • Marisco
    Marisco Posts: 42,036 Forumite
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    Ravenlady wrote: »
    Its a common myth along with getting pregnant from a toilet seat, Eating crusts will turn your hair curly and you catch cold from not wearing socks.

    :rotfl:Those take me back a bit!!!:eek: Along with, don't sit on cold stones you'll get piles, don't wash your hair when on your period, don't go out with wet hair, you'll get a cold, don't wear damp clothes you'll get rheumatism etc etc :rotfl: And we believed them!!! :eek:
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