Paying child support advice

[threechooks]

Please dont reply to this if you only intend on running me down....

Don't know if this is the right section- mods feel free to move it. I am looking for some advice on paying child support.

DH and I seem to have the opposite problem to most...my DSD has a deadbeat mum who she chooses to live with.

DH currently pays $1300 per month in CS. She has always chosen not to work and raise children who all have different fathers. She declares her income to child support as $28, 000 per year. (Does CS from other fathers count as income??) She doesn't declare her defacto to centrelink and I know for a fact she pays herself a wage out of his business. But we have no way of proving her income is greater than $28K. My DH's wage looks good on paper but he works 12 hours a day 6 days a week physical labour. His gross wage is good but after tax we are barely making ends meet. The $1300 a month CS is killing us fiancially. It used to be about $850 and was managable. The assessment states he is responsible for 97% of the cost of raising DSD. CSA treat DH like sh#t even though he has always paid.
Why should my we as a family be going without because she chooses not to work (or if she is declare her income) How do we go about reducing the child support payable?

[SuperGranny]

hi, I dont know if this is only for singleparents?? but is there some agency that you can request them to investigate her living arrangements?? defacto, with a business that she is drawing a wage from?? there should be some sort of taxation questions raised by that?? How is your husband responsible for 97% when he doesnt have custody?? My brother was allowed to pay his daughters school fees direct to the school instead of paying his exwife child support. He didnt want to give his exwife any money directly. It seems terrible unfair for you both to have to pay so much, and to be treated so poorly, when you are not doing anything wrong. Marie.

[davally]

Your DH can request a change of assessment from CSA which the decision maker has the power to overuse the assessment and put a new or in it's place. Info is on the CSA website.

Have you considered calling Centrelink and letting them know regarding her de facto status, they have powers to investigate such things.

[threechooks]

How is your husband responsible for 97% when he doesnt have custody?? My brother was allowed to pay his daughters school fees direct to the school instead of paying his exwife child support. He didnt want to give his exwife any money directly. .

He is responsible for 97% simply because he earns much more than her. We have inquired about paying school fees/dance lessons etc directly but we were told that the mother must agree to it in writing. She is not willing to do this :rolleyes:

[Jakois]

Child support is not a taxable income, so it would not count towards her 28k.

The PPS is around 14k a year, so I guess she is declaring some form of other income.

[Grinnyswife]

id be reporting her to centrelink...
My hubby & I moved in together after about 2 months of dating. We were living 2 hours from each other & it was really hard making this trip to see each other so we moved into a house where he works.
I am a SAHM & It didnt occur to me that when we moved in together he'd be responsible for me & the kids. I felt so terrible because we had only been seeing each other such a short time.
Anyway as soon as we moved in I lost my centrelink benefits.
It did not matter how long we had been seeing each other.. if you live with a man & are in a relationship with him, he is automatically responsible.
I actually dont think its fair in all cases, like mine, where we certainly werent at the point i'd expect my bf of 2 months to support me & 2 kids. But he happily did.

[nuttamum]

Its just ridiculous isnt it. The system is a rout!
Such a 'mothers' world when it comes to access to kids and child support.
My DP has had his kids since the youngest was 10 months old, he is almost 9 now. I've been on the scene 3 years.
The kids mother has fortnightly access weekends.
She has a daughter, 6 yrs old.
She doesnt have to pay a CENT of child support. Not one cent to anything cost related to HER kids!!!!!! And that is from the child support agency. Its rediculous.
I have no idea if she declares her defactos earnings, he is an interstate truck driver.
I dont understand why she doesnt have to pay anything. but I have to pay for 2 kids i didnt give birth too.... WTF???? grr


good luck xx