Is it fair to the other parent with 35/65 care (in their favour) to only receive under $10 a week? Half private school fees are paid as well as half the sporting activity of the childs choice along with the gear to suit. The dad has a lower earning job compared to the mum. I am the step parent with the dad and i feel bad for the mum only getting that much, it is all done through CS so its above board. Dad lost his higher paying job and had to accept what was offered at the time so went from $100 a week to under 10. Each parent has 2 other children
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I think it would depend on if theyre happy and that would depend on if hes buying all the school shoes and clothes and everything extra and whos doing most running around and how theyre both doing. When my ex wasnt working he didnt pay and I didnt expect anything I just wanted him on his feet and when he got a job he did step up again.
He pays half of everything for school, fees, levies and uniform. We live an hour away from them so we dont get to take child anywhere through the week but of a weekend we take child to the sport up to 2 hours away each way. We get bus tickets to get from and to school Fri and Mon. And the usual hair cuts if needed and obviously any extras like dr appointments which to me is just what you do.
Naturally when he finds a higher earning job CS will go up as child is 14 almost 15
Half of all Fees are being paid saving the mum a crap load. Dont stress it. From a receiver of CS
Thanks, it is a couple of grand each...
I think given that you are contributing in other ways it sounds reasonable.
I'm a single mum who often received nothing and had 100% care (not my choice).
I think it's fair.
Depending on those school fees (and I can only base it off what I was paying) it's likely to be at least $70 per week, then the sport and gear (again basing it off my experience with karate) is another upfront cost of a few hundred to get started plus in our case $30 per week for lessons plus comps and gradings. That's still minimum $85 per week in assistance before you add in uniforms and bus fares (for us the bus was an additional $48 per week).
If bio mum was struggling she'd pull the child out of private school and use that money elsewhere, don't stress.
Firstly I just want to say you sound like an awesome step mum! I wish my daughters step mum was as caring as you.
But I think with your partner paying half for school fees and extra activities it all balances out and is pretty fair. Most people I know who get child support don't even get enough to cover half of those things.
I think most of us single mums would love that amount of support! My ex paid his calculated amount and that is all. No halves of anything else. It was $100/wk for 2 then nothing when he was not working and $12 for 3 when working part time. I somehow manage on a Carers pension but it's a constant juggling act. Sounds like mum earns a decent wage so that's why it's low.
Child support covers things like living expenses (clothing, food, etc), education and basic medical so in the eyes of child support if he is paying half education/sporting/etc ontop of the child support amount (no matter how dismal) then he is going above and beyond.
I was told by CS that it can be paid via money or have the person pay school fees, etc instead of giving the parent money, so long as it is the same amount as the child support assessment.
I had my ex agree to 50/50 school fees on top of child support but now he has a new partner (who has a child) he has said he will no longer pay and is only paying what he is estimated from CS. There is nothing I can do.
The bottom line is child support say the minimum of what is due. If your partner wants to give her more money then there is nothing stopping him.