Calling all lawyers.....

[I hammer]

I want to know if a friend of mine is obliged to pay his ex any money?

Simply put, as boyfriend and girlfriend, many years ago they had childen...approx now 17 and 15 yrs old.

The ex girfriend has subsequently remarried,and been looking after children. She's been married approx 7 yrs. Her husband has always been in employment.

Is my friend obliged to pay any money to his ex girfriend? (For whatever reason).

[Angelina]

has he not been paying toward supporting his children over the years?

[uncleglen]

child support payments (assuming the biological father CAN pay) stop when a child reaches 16 or 20 if they are in full-time education. A friend of mine was in this exact position except has been married for 9 years. The father of the child paid every month until she reached 20 (as she was at uni) and then he stopped paying.

[KidKruger]

Two kids I think means father obliged to pay 20% of earned (taxable) income - if the case is taken to the CSA (but if it is, nowadays CSA will take a % to cover their 'admin').

[siousxiesue]

He wouldn't be paying anything to his ex. His position as father to the 2 children means he is obliged to support them until they come of age.

[KidKruger]

..but the money will go to the mother, not the kids as she is (I assume) the one with residential custody of the children.

[I hammer]

He has always made an unofficial payment to his ex.

I thought as she has married he's not forced to pay anything.

[Robert Poste's Child]

As others have said, he would not be expected to make any payments to his ex-partner for herself, but if the children are still at school and the new partner hasn't actually adopted them, you'd expect him to have (and, hopefully, want) to contribute to their upkeep, wouldn't you?

[Loz]

I hammer Wrote:

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> He has always made an unofficial payment to his ex.

> I thought as she has married he's not forced to pay anything.

If he hadn't had kids, then probably. But if you have kids, you should be paying for their upbringing.

She could marry a multi-billionaire and that still wouldn't (or shouldn't) change.

[KidKruger]

Whether his ex has married or not is irrelevant, that may affect financial settlement but not financial contributions to the upbringing of the children.

The fact is, if the CSA have not been involved it's up to the two parents to sort it, if CSA get involved they'll have set a % based on the no. of children which should be paid (less their 'fee') and will enforce if necessary.

I don't get the raising of the fact that the woman has married a different guy - there seems to be a suggestion that this releases the father from responsibility to contribute as a parent - which on any level is so obviously wrong.

[Loz]

I think the OP is getting confused at the difference between spousal maintenance (aka alimony) and child support.

[Blah Blah]

I Hammer, your friend is always going to have responsiblility for the kids he has brought into the world. That sometimes means financial input.

[ianr]

> Is my friend obliged to pay any money to his ex girfriend? (For whatever reason).

Possibly a useful opinion: http://www.childsupportlaws.co.uk/back-pay-for-child-maintenance.html (but don't rely on any opinion you haven't paid for).

[Sue]

KidKruger Wrote:

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> I don't get the raising of the fact that the woman

> has married a different guy - there seems to be a

> suggestion that this releases the father from

> responsibility to contribute as a parent - which

> on any level is so obviously wrong.

Yeh I don't get it either.

The father surely has a moral, if not legal, responsibility to help financially support his children?

[KidKruger]

Should this thread be entitled "how can my mate avoid contributing financially towards the upbringing of his own children" ?

You don't need to call a lawyer to understand that if you have a kid then you pay for the kid, surely ?!

Next thread: If I have a child do I have to feed it or clothe it ?

[ianr]

I hammer Wrote:

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> I want to know if a friend of mine is obliged to

> pay his ex any money?

Why?

> He has always made an unofficial payment to his ex.

> I thought as she has married he's not forced to pay anything.

What does he think?

[singalto]

You make them, you pay for them!