can ex partners opt out of dealing with the child support agency

[imajenarry]

does anyone know if it is possible to opt out of dealing with the child support agency? my fiance's ex has no end of hassle getting her payments out of the csa. she hasn't had any money from them since oct and is understandably getting very stressed out by it. the excuse she always gets is that my partner's pay department has messed up and not paid out but the amount is taken out automatically every single week without fail and has done for the past 3-4 years. now my partner has had a letter saying that he owes arrears. no details -just that and they are putting up his payments by another �140 a month! i'm sure it would suit both sides to cut out this (rather unhelpful) middle man. thanks in advance.

[mifta]

My sister ad her ex split 5 years ago and she has never had to go through the CSA. He gives her money each month, for the first year of the divorce the amount was stipulated in the divorce agreement and he continued to pay that amount, until a few months ago, when his new wife had a baby. He offered her a lesser amount, she used the CSA calculator to see if they would make him pay more, it didn't, so she accepted his reduced monthly payment.

[mifta]

Should have added - they don't get on that well, he left her when the youngest baby was 3 months old for a Brazillian woman, much animosity, but both were sensible about maintenance. So it can be done.

[Beanmistriss]

You don't have to use the csa. If you can both parties can be sensible. Although if your fiance is recieving benefits then it has to be done through the csa I think.

They are absolutly useless though as you have experienced.

[imajenarry]

my partner's ex was /is receiving benefits that's how the csa got involved in the 1st place. but once they are involved can you opt out of having them dealing with the finance. we all think life would be much easier for everyone if they weren't in the mix.

[Yvaines09]

You can opt out, I think. You just need to make his ex aware about what sort of payments she can expect direct ie using their online calculator. My ex has three children by three partners - one has money through the CSA in an attachment of earnings because of problems between them in the past, one gets her money direct from him but calculated by the CSA and I get mine from a private arrangement based on a separation agreement which was incorporated into our divorce.

[Beanmistriss]

I'm not sure if you can opt out. As she recieves benefits the government will be taking a percentage of the maintainance money to recoup some of the money paid in benefits. Giv them a ring and ask them, least then you will know for sure :o)