child maintenance

[sam3]

single mum expecting second child in may. father has offered �25 per week child maintenance for baby and im interested in other mums opinions please and if its a fair amount to be offered.

[Beanmistriss]

It depends on how much the father earns. If it were to be done through the csa he would have to give you 15% of his take home wage for the first child and 5% on top for every other child. So when your secondd baby is born he would be giving you 20% of his take home pay. Obviously as a private arrangment you can set it at whatever you both think is fair but thats what you'd be entitled if you had to get the csa involved.

[Beanmistriss]

Sorry thats assuming that both children are his. If only one child is his then it would be 15% of his take home pay

[Psychick]

I have always gone through the CSA personally and the amount he is offering all depends on what you are expected to buy/pay for with it. Just a word of advise though, if you are claiming benfits and income support, whatever he gives you, you have to declare and they will take that amount off your benefits.

[beverleymot]

go on the csa website- fill in the details n they will tell you what he should be giving. if its less than the amount he offered then accept his offer hehe

[DONNNAKEBAB]

I personally dont think that �25.00 is enough do you ? Do you work? Does he work ? Who will be paying the rent/mortgage to house this baby and the gas, electricity, nappies, food, clothes etc?

Katie. x

[Ice.Maiden]

As others've said sam - it depends on what your partner earns. It's unfair to take all his money and leave him with nothing, yet it's not the child's fault this's happened, and children are expensive today! Remember, it's for him or her, not for yourself, so try and work out an ahgreeable amount, based on what the father can genuinely afford. If he undercuts this, and you know he can afford to pay more, then yes, the csa or whatever it is now, could help you.

[lil123]

Well I don't get anything off my childrens father and he earns alot as he has his own business we have been divorced since Dec 06 and I have struggled financially ever since. I would accept it or seek legal advice as to what he should be paying.

[Fairie]

Hi it depends on what he is earning - if you go through CSA, otherwise, you can guess what he can reasonably afford and take that from him, I have been seperated from my childrens father for 6 years and divorced for 4 of these, my solicitor thought i was mad not to take him to the cleaners as i didnt even ask for proof of earnings, i took the position that if he was low enough to cheat his kids he wasnt worth it, however he did offer what i thought was reasonable without needing to take it any further. Use your innitiative and remember INFLATION, something i'd forgotten about!

[treborrobert]

well it takes 2 to make a baby .. one parent again ? .. keep your legs shut . seems to me you only got pregnent for the child not the partner .. and all you go on about is money..more tax payers money going to one parents .. have you ever heard of condoms ... ?

come on all you mothers let it rip .. go on rip me apart lol

but at the end of this i am right !!!!!!

WHY IS IT ALWAYS THE MANS FOLT !!!

[treborrobert]

if it was me i would pay nothing !! ... and take you court for intratment !

as you used him for a child !

[Fairie]

treborrobert, that's not very nice! after all both parties are responsible for contraception!! It takes two to tango, an two to practice safe sex

[treborrobert]

well you only have to look at the request ...single mum offered �25 wk ...come on give me a break ...not all one parents are that bad after all i was a one parent myself jue to split up and i got the kids coz i love them and not for money !!!! you carnt say that everyone is squeeky clean can you ? some parents only get kids for one thing MONEY !