Unfair child maintenance – salary is the same and shared parenting

[Singledad2020]

My ex-girlfriend and I broke up about 3 years ago now and I have been paying child maintenance to her but I do not think its fair and I’m not sure on how to try to complain about it. We basically share the care of our son 50/50 but this is not agreed in any legal sense, just what we have mutually agreed. Originally she had him 100% of the time for the first few months, before she agreed to share. I have been making the payments to her this whole time, as technically she has a lower take home salary to me, but I recently found out through a mutual friend of ours that she is actually on near enough the same salary as me but she voluntarily contributes a large proportion to her pension. I’ve worked it out on this salary calculator https://www.income-tax.co.uk/ and figured out her salary from the information the friend has given me. I believe she also receives some sort of child tax credits, that I do not. I don’t think its fair that I am sending her money due to her income that she has CHOSEN to have. Our costs for his care are the same, so why am I paying some of her share? How can I go about appealing please?

[Kath]

Is this an arrangement that you have both come to privately or is it what Child maintenance people have said you must pay?

If this is a private set up then stop paying your ex. My understanding is when it is 50/50 shared care of your child no one pays maintenance to the other regardless of their incomes.

If it is thru child maintenance you need to let them know that you and your ex care for your child 50/50

[Kathymumofone]

Hi,  Is the mutual friend reliable?  How do they know so much about your ex’s finances.  Could they be mischief-making?

I agree with Kath, surely the most sensible thing would be to put in a CMS claim.  The CMS can check exactly what each of you is paid, and what is a fair provision.

[Author]

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