If the Child Maintenance Service is collecting and paying child maintenance, any missed payments are enforceable. You were great. This is an unprecedented and understandably difficult time for everyone. Removing or resetting your browser cookies will reset these preferences. If this fails, you can appeal to an independent tribunal. If you can’t agree, ask the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) to step in This is because a fee is due every time a payment is made or received via the Child Maintenance Service. We have client meeting office facilities available, in order to have face-to-face client meetings / conferences as and when required in: Leeds Office: St Andrew House, The Headrow, Leeds, LS1 5JW, Wakefield Office: Market Walk, Wakefield, WF1 1QR, Halifax Office: Old Lane, Halifax, HX3 5WP, Huddersfield Office: Northumberland Street Huddersfield, HD1 1RL, Coventry Office: Warwick Road, Coventry, CV1 2DY, Canary Wharf Office: 25 Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5LB. You may be looking at how to reduce child maintenance payments due to a change in your circumstances. For example, if the paying parent is paying for: One other child, their weekly income will be reduced by 11% Two other children, their weekly income will be reduced by 14% A mediator can speak with you both (most are continuing to operate by video conference facilities such as Zoom or Skype) to help you communicate and reach an agreement between you. Payments are usually made to the parent a child spends most of their time with, by the parent a child spends less of their time with. I wasted so much time and money with my previous solicitors and only regret I did not contact you earlier. Find out how we can help you, call us on 0845 862 5001 or email us today. If the child stays overnight with the parent paying child maintenance, the CMS will make a deduction to reflect this. Before looking at how to reduce child maintenance payments, it is important to define exactly what child maintenance is and why it exists. Firstly, you can contact the Child Maintenance Service and ask them to re-examine their decision about the level of maintenance payments. This expertise means we can help you resolve your child maintenance issues quickly, cost-effectively and with the minimum possible conflict and stress. Please let us know how you heard about us, Get in touch with our family law solicitors, Your choice regarding cookies on this site. Authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. if the paying parent claims they cannot pay but you think they can, the court order can be enforced. Resulting in 7-8 months less work and no court appearances as I had been previously advised by HCB. I THANK YOU DEARLY AUSTIN KEMP. Child maintenance usually comprises regular financial payments made towards a child’s everyday living costs. A reduction in child maintenance payments usually comes about due to a change of circumstances, such as a job loss. the Child Maintenance Service are currently prioritising loss of employment changes over changes to income, as a result of lack of resources arising from the coronavirus pandemic, verbal notice of any change in circumstances is being accepted at present, but full documentary evidence will be required at a later date. These include setting up fake companies, paying their new partner a salary from their legitimate business to reduce its profits and giving themselves benefits in kind or large pension contributions. Their negotiation skills are second to none. A gross weekly income is calculated and the rate of child maintenance is then worked out according to standard rates or a formula, depending on the level of income. The CMS finds out the parent’s gross annual income from HMRC. If you cannot reach an agreement between you as to how to get through the next few weeks, or months as it may turn out to be, you may find it helpful to use other non-court services. Child maintenance exists to ensure that this happens. This appears to be as a result of a reduction in their own staffing resources arising from the current coronavirus pandemic. For example, you must tell the CMS if you become self-employed or if you start (or stop) receiving benefits. Can't fault my experience in any way. Tough, hardworking and extremely professional. We use your data to work for you – primarily providing the professional legal and financial services you have requested. For example, you must tell the CMS if you become self-employed or if you start (or stop) receiving benefits. Things that could affect the income, such as pension payments and other children to support are taken into account. What’s more, if the gross weekly income of the paying parent is more than £3,000, the day-to-day carer of the child could go to court to ask for additional child maintenance. Get in touch today for your first free initial consultation in person, by phone or on Zoom, All rights reserved. You have been brilliant and very patient. All rights reserved. The Court can deal with applications for child maintenance in some, limited situations: Many employees are being furloughed or made redundant as a result of the current economic climate. He would not succumb to taking instructions tit for tat response. My case was quickly progressed without compromising compassion and understanding. You can call us as normal on 0800 013 1165 or email us: You can also find contact details for all our advisers, the Child Maintenance Service (a government scheme), or, if the paying parent lives outside the UK, if there are additional expenses which aren’t taken into account by the Child Maintenance Service calculation (arising from, for example, a child’s disability), or. Arrears will accrue and will ultimately be recovered, but it is likely to take longer than usual. Austin Kemp provides a pragmatic and honest approach to the individual's journey through Family Law issues. Also, rather than have to query every suggested next step and be charged for the pleasure; As I'd done a little research of my own and was able to challenge their advice - however we pay Solicitors for their expertise and need to put our trust in them. Does anything affect this income (pension payments, for example)? Coronavirus: how are child maintenance payments affected? I always felt comfortable calling when asking to clarify certain points of the divorce. Google Analytics cookies help us to understand your experience of the website and do not store any personal data. This process is usually much faster and cheaper than taking your case to a tribunal and is effective in the vast majority of cases. speak to each other and keep communicating, consider reducing child maintenance payments for the time-being, but with a view to them to returning to the normal, higher amount when the paying parent starts receiving their full income again, try to agree a solution which you can both live with during this unprecedented time.