Hello
Thanks for your email. If your partner and his ex-wife can reach an agreement, then they can decide between themselves how much
child maintenance to pay, and even what counts as child maintenance. For example, they could agree that his contribution towards school trips and paying for school uniforms counts as child maintenance for their children. This is called a family-based arrangement, and many separated parents find that this type of arrangement is the easiest and most flexible way to sort out child maintenance.
In terms of monetary amounts, your partner can get an idea what his
child maintenance payments would be through the CSA using the Child Maintenance Options calculator. He could also use this amount as a starting point for his family-based arrangement. If a case was set-up with the CSA the non-resident parent would only be expected to pay the figure given by the CSA.
I know it can sometimes be really hard to talk to the other parent about money, but if your partner would like to discuss his options, there is help available from the
child maintenance Options Service. He can find tips and support at
www.cmoptions.org, or he can speak to someone in confidence by calling 0800 988 0988.
Sarah
child maintenance Options