Child Support & Maintenance

As a parent, you have a responsibility to contribute to the maintenance of your child, providing financial support towards their living costs.

This applies whether you are separated or divorced, with the non-resident parent paying child maintenance to the other parent.

You may reach an agreement yourselves about the level of maintenance required, but if this is not possible, then the Child Support Agency (CSA) can help.

You are able to apply for the CSA to calculate and organise your child maintenance payments unless:

• maintenance is in respect of a step-child (step-children are outside the CSA's jurisdiction)
• one of the parents lives abroad
• top-up maintenance is needed or school fees are needed
• maintenance is agreed and the parents are not in receipt of certain prescribed benefits

Child maintenance is calculated by the CSA by applying certain percentages to your net income, depending on how many children you have and how much you earn. Allowances are made depending on how many days/nights per week the child is looked after by the other parent.

More information can be found on the CSA website.

Next steps:

• Contact our Children Team to find out how we can help