Hi there. I am paying regular maintenance to my ex-wife to be. She is now also asking for additional money to cover the cost of school trips and holidays. Does the maintenance payment not cover these items?
Hi
Legally, you are not obliged to pay extra for these. A lot of our dads have different views on these 'extras'.....I would say my personal view is that perhaps it's worth looking at how much you pay, how much she earns? For example, if you are paying a very large amount of maintenance and you know mum earns a fair whack, then it's a bit of a grey area. If you're paying the minimum and mum is a low earner, then perhaps try to figure out if not sharing the costs would affect your children? Would they miss out?
Myself and my ex always shared the cost of these extras because if we didn't, the kids would have missed out. I don't think you can have a blanket rule on these issues to be honest.
Best wishes
Hello separatedad73
If you have a case with the Child Maintenance Service, you are not required to pay any more than they ask you to pay.
If it is a family-based arrangement, there are no set rules to follow and you can decide between yourselves who pays for what.
If you require any information about the options available to set up a maintenance arrangement and to receive a more personalised service, you can contact Child Maintenance Options directly, http://www.cmoptions.org
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) have a website, ‘Sorting out separation’. It aims to make it much easier for separating and separated parents (and childless couples) to find the support they need, when and where they need it, and encourages them to collaborate on a range of issues. The link is https://www.sortingoutseparation.org.uk/
Regards
William