The Child Maintenance Service

This is the governmental body responsible for assessing and collecting child maintenance.

Unfortunately, as with many such bodies, the system is overloaded and laden with bureaucracy.

Parents are encouraged to make their own agreements about child maintenance. They can assess the correct level using the government’s calculator which is found here https://www.gov.uk/calculate-child-maintenance

Parents of children who are resident within England and Wales can apply for child maintenance from the Child Maintenance Service. The Child Maintenance Service now offers a scheme which is based on a percentage of the non-resident parent’s gross weekly income up to £156,000 per annum. This means if the total income of that parent is at or under the threshold of £156,000, the calculation will be arithmetic. The calculation also takes into account the number of nights that the child or children spend with the non-resident parent and the number of other children who live with that non-resident parent who are not part of the calculation.

If the time split is equal, there is no child maintenance liability at all.