Separated and separating parents can make a Private Agreement about child maintenance, without using the courts or the CSA. There are lots of benefits to having a Private Agreement:

• It’s quick and easy to set up.
• There’s little paperwork to do.
• There are no set rules so you can be more flexible. For example:

- You can agree between yourselves on how much payments should be, and when they should be made.
- If either parent’s circumstances change, your agreement can change straight away if you both agree to it.
- If you agree that you would rather pay for or receive things like clothing for your child instead of money, you can.

• It can help to keep things friendly between you and the other parent

However, a Private Agreement could fail if either parent won’t agree to the terms of the agreement, or if they aren’t honest about their situation. Also, a Private Agreement is not usually legally binding.

The Options service can talk you through all aspects of a Private Agreement and help you decide if this is best for you and your child.		The Options Maintenance Calculator gives you an indication of what your payments should be. You could use this amount as a starting point for your Private Agreement.		Options can also provide you with a Private Agreement form. You can use this to keep a record of what you have agreed with the other parent.
Call free on: 0800 988 0988		Try the maintenance calculator		Private Agreement form