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Hi i am new on here and looking some advice, if anyone could please help me or point me in the right direction i would be grateful.
I started paying child maintenance 4 years ago when i was unemployed for a child that i always have had reasonable doubt that she was not mine. I have always disputed this but i have never had any help from the csa in this matter at all. I started working about 18 months ago and have now had the csa cease a large sum of my wages every week. I am not on speaking terms with the mother and have not received any word from her since we split 10 years ago.
I now have money gathered up to get a DNA test done but she wont respond to me or tell me if i can have access to the child but yet she is more than happy to take my money every week. Can some one please advise me on this as i am lost as to were to turn.
Many thanks
As far as I am aware, you can tell the CSA that you dispute paternity - they will ask for a DNA test from the mother and you pay for the DNA test. If the test comes back as negative, then I believe your liability stops from the date you notified them that you disputed paternity, and they may give you the cost of the DNA test back.
If the mother refuses to have the DNA test done, then I believe the CSA class this as enough evidence that you are not the father.
I'd certainly speak to the CSA about this.
Thank you, The problem is that the CSA want nothing to do with this as the case is open for a few years even though i have always disputed this with them. I really feel as if i am banging my head against a brick wall. It seems to me that a woman can just say someone is the father and they take there word for it and then the person has to try and sort it out. Problem is i dont have alot of money and cant afford to pay a solicitor to fight my corner.
You actually don't need a solicitor to dispute this in court, you can self represent. Here's a link to a CSA leaflet that deals with this subject .
www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum_dg/groups/dg_digitalassets/@dg/@en/@benefits/documents/digitalasset/dg_198851.pdf
Thank you for the link Mojo. It seems to answer alot of questions for me and it is like i thought. I will keep you up to date with the out come of this and again THANK YOU.
Hi ConfusedDadNI
Thank you for your post. I am William, the Child Maintenance Options consultant. I am unable to comment on your Child Support Agency (CSA) case as we are a separate organisation and do not have access to your case information. However, I can provide you with some general information.
If the person who is asked to pay child maintenance denies that they are the parent after child maintenance as been worked out, you may be asked to provide evidence to prove that you are not the father of the child named in your case. You can find more information about the disputed parentage process by visiting Gov.uk at https://www.gov.uk/child-maintenance/disagreements-about-parentage. You may also wish to contact the CSA directly to again share your concerns. You can find the contact details for the office that is dealing with your case on any letters that they may have sent you, or by selecting the following link: https://www2.dwp.gov.uk/csa/v2/en/contact/index.asp.
For more information on the ways to set up child maintenance, please visit our website at http://www.cmoptions.org. Alternatively, you can call us free on 0800 988 0988 between 8am and 8pm Monday to Friday or 9am and 4pm on a Saturday. We have a sorting out separation web-app that you may find useful. It offers help and support to separating and separated families. The link is: www.dad.info/divorce-and-separation/sorting-out-separation.
Regards
William
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