Overnight Stays - how does it work?

Hi all,

My fiance is in the process of agreeing overnight stays for the remainder of the year with his ex.

How do the CSA calculate overnight stays? I know it is a minimum of 52 nights per year but do they class the year as Jan - Dec or a year from the date that the overnight stays start?

Thanks

When I made my claim last May they asked me how many overnights my ex would be having, I told them and they based it on that figure. He had only been having them since Xmas mind, but they just took that as the figure I think and worked out what it would be over a year.

Is there a specific reason you need it one way or the other?

Hi Emma,

Thanks for your reply. My fiance is due to start having them during the first weekend in April and he is due to call the ex tonight to work out overnight stays until the end of the year based on alternate weekends/sharing of school holidays etc.

I think at present from what we have worked out it comes to 48 nights from April - Dec so we are assuming that if he called the CSA they would say no or would they say its from April - April?

He also had them 14 nights last year which he would like backdating.

I think if you add up alternate weekends and half of holidays then they would work that out over a whole year to be honest, and then if the position changed, ie overnights increased or decreased then either party could apply for a variation.

I dont know whether they will consider the 14 days from last year though as I think they may just take it from whats going to happen now.

Its probably worth a call to them to just ask the question?

I know the bands are
Less than 52 overnights
52 - 103
104 - 155
156 - 174
175 or more.

Mine fell into to the 104 - 155 group.

I think it would fluctuate annually because if it''s my fiance''s turn to have them on their birthday and christmas then it falls in the 104-155 bracket but on the year that he doesn''t it falls into 52-103.

Do you know if the CSA require proof i.e. court order or do they just call the other parent to confirm this is correct?

I dont have a court order for my two, they just confirmed it with my ex and then that was it - i guess theres only a problem if they dont agree on the numbers!

Hope I''ve helped

Thanks Emma you have helped