Choosing the right option for me and my child
Every family is different. What works for one family won’t necessary suit another. So how can you work out which option is best for you and your child?
These are some of the key things you need to think about.
Working together – Making a private agreement work will often require parents to be able to work together. Of course, it’s easier to talk about working together than to do it. You might not feel like you can or want to talk about finances with the other parent. If this is the case you can contact the statutory maintenance service at any time and they will put in place an arrangement on your behalf. If at any time, for example, you decide that you want to make your own private agreement after all, you can close your statutory maintenance service arrangement and we can support you in putting in place a private agreement.
Commitment – It will take some commitment from both of you to make an agreement work. There needs to be a basic level of trust between you, and a willingness to work together. Once you have an agreement, neither parent should try to change the terms of the agreement without talking to the other first. It is a good idea to review the agreement every year or so to make sure you’re both still happy with the agreement. You can do this face-to-face or there’s always the telephone or email.
Income – It’s important to come to a child maintenance arrangement that’s affordable and realistic, so the parent who’s paying is more likely to keep paying. If you would like an estimate of how much child maintenance should be, call us on free phone 0800 028 7439. It’s important to let the other parent know right away if your financial situation changes that could affect any payments. Give them enough warning, so they have time to budget.
Irregular income – What if the parent who’s paying only works part-time or only part of the year? That shouldn’t get in the way of working out an agreement. If you have chosen a private agreement, you could both agree one rate for when the parent paying is out of work, and adjust it as and when they are earning.
Remember to record payments made. If you change anything, be sure to keep a clear written record; for example, using our Private Agreement Form (PDF 249KB). If there are no changes, it’s still a good idea to take a fresh look and review your agreement at regular intervals to make sure it’s still fair. |
