Small claims court

[Le Chat]

After an uphill struggle with the CSA for the past 8 yrs, I receive only �10 per week maintenance for my son from his father, although he is very wealthy (and self employed!) Can I take him to the small claims court or some other type of court system independently?

[WiseOldSage]

The CSA are the be all and end all to be honest - I don't think any court can supersede what they say. The reason why I know this is my ex husband had signed a separation agreement with his former partner with a solicitor saying he would pay her �600 pcm. He never thought about the consequences of having more children or a change in his circumstances. But the caveat to that was only a CSA assessment could break that. When his ex wouldn't listen to reason ie when our daughter came along and he took a wage decrease WE invoked the CSA to break it.

Hope that helps - you are better contacting the CSA and asking them to investigate his income.

[Le Chat]

Thank you Wise Old Sage. I have tried with the CSA really I have, everything...including providing them with copies of his emails ( I got his password through hours of trial and error) showing that he had correspondence from the company in Spain where he has his Villa, also showing that he had another bank account with ING online. However, they weren't interested because it would be breaking data protection! Nothing I do seems to make any difference..I am looking for alternative methods to get him to provide for his son.

[WiseOldSage]

That's quite bizarre - my ex left in such a hurry that he left his P60 stating that he had earned a bonus of �30K the previous year adding a third to his salary. When I contacted the CSA that was taken into account.

I think being self employed is the problem. In my job we get enquiries from the CSA about attachment of earnings but the moment I tell them our guys are self employed that have to leave it.

You have to rely on his honesty with his earnings I suppose. Always beggars belief that the parent without care can short change their children.

Sorry I wasn't much help.