I dont know if this is a rant or a question. Hubby and I have been married for 3 years this month and together nearly 7 years. His ex got pregnant just before we got together (6weeks) his daughter is 6 and we have a 2.5 year old together. We see her 2 nights a fortnight minimum and if there is a public holiday on our weekend we have her the extra day. But he is being whacked with the full rate of child support and they don't seem to take into account that we have her at all and that we have a 2.5 year old child to look after as well. We both work full time to scrape by and his ex has come out with "I've decided I'm not going back to work because I get plenty from centrelink to live on". It makes me so angry that we work our asses off to provide for our kids while she can just be supported by the government. I had to go back to work when our son was 19 months because we couldnt afford our bills. I have too much pride to live off the government. Somebody please tell me I'm not alone. We have just gotten another huge bill even though hubby's work takes the money out of his wages.
Dealing with child support and ex that can work but refuses to
Dealing with child support and ex that can work but refuses to
Posted in:
Relationships & Marriage, Money
5 Replies
CSA wont take into account that you have the child unless it is more than 35% of the year. They should however account for the fact that your partner has a child in his care and that should lower his child support. As it now goes on both his and the mothers income while she is supported by the government his CS will always be high Im afraid. Your income doesnt come into it at all. However he can apply to have it reassessed and see if perhaps that lowers it a littke bit.
As for the mother I wonder if she will be saying that when her child is 7 or 8 depending on her circumstances when she is cut from parenting payment and put on the dole. Losing her about $150 a f/n.
I do believe it is his duty and responisibilty to pay child support but dont believe she has a right to bludge from the goverment because she can survive on the money she gets :-/
Tell your partner to call CSA and tell them he wants it reassessed.
Unfortunately he had that child first so it takes precedent. The cost of raising the first child doesn't decrease because he had another child. I would stop worrying about what the mother does or doesn't do to earn her money as it will just make you bitter (the only person you can change is yourself).
BTW she would have to earn an awful lot before it would cause any decrease to your partners child support payments.
actually a raise in her income could possibly cause a raise in child support. I know that's what happened when I got a higher income. I have no idea how the system works.
Earnings comes into it too. We have 50% custody of my step daughter and were told we are entitled to child support because the other family earns more then us and they don't have any other dependants.
The entire system is wrong......