Will a child support review sour things overmuch?

[m_jelly]

I know there have been a ton of threads about child support and the whole should I/shouldn't I angle, and the consensus is that you should claim.

Has anyone requested a review of their ex and had a significant increase though, and how did this affect your relationship?

Ex was assessed at $26/month (in reality zero) but it was based on last financial year's earnings where he earned nothing and I supported him. He started working the week I left and if I got him reassessed it would be to $200/month which I could REALLY use.

He's been seeing DD once a week, and we chat online quite often - basically we're friends now. He knows how much I get on centrelink and has told me he gets almost the same amount net but always makes sure to mention how poor he is and that he will give me money when he can, but first he has to buy a car, put money on his credit card, etc etc.

We have different standards regarding money which will impact the result - he will cut back on everything (to the point of cheapskate) to clear his credit card debt, while I racked up thousands in debt supporting him all those years and have no way of reducing it on my current income. At the moment I juggle from card to card to avoid the debt collectors.

I know he will be mad and will send me mean texts, emails and messages, as well as be snarky whenever we talk...

Oh, and does anybody know how getting $200/month in CS will affect my current centrelink (max single rate plus max ftb)? I don't want to cause the damage without a decent benefit.

[munchkin05]

i just raised my cs agreement with the ex
(will teach him for not helping when hes earning $80000 a year )

i think centerlink told me that for every $ over a certain amount the take 50c out of you ftb

just ring centerlink and inquire thats what i done before i went ahead with anything

[the_queen]

As I understand it, Centrelink are in contact with CSA to correctly determine how much FTB you are entitled to.

[MissBrightside]

My ex was estimated to give me roughly what you are ($200) for 2 kids. I am in fact getting sweet f.a. out of him. He is on the dole. I recently asked him to ring CSA to change the estimate as my FTB A was cut by over $100.

[OneBabyBoy]

My ex was estimated to give me roughly what you are ($200) for 2 kids. I am in fact getting sweet f.a. out of him. He is on the dole. I recently asked him to ring CSA to change the estimate as my FTB A was cut by over $100.

yeah my ex is on the dole aswell. He luuuurves responsibilty. I could hardly survive without my $26 a month :rolleyes:

[Pobblebonk]

Hi. I was in the same situation as you. They assessed my ex at $23 a week, that was based on the previous years income where he worked only 5 months of the year and the rest of the time I was supporting him when he was 'trying to get a job'!

After lots of drama involving his mother, and her need to control her son (she told him he couldn't go to his own son's Naming because we had agreed to go 50/50 on the cost and she believed that child support should cover this), we decided to have a private agreement of $50 a week until DS turns 2.

He's actually pretty good at paying, because I get it every week.

But I'm one of the lucky ones, some of the fathers out there do try everything to get out of paying child support.

They think it's for us, but it's actually money they're not giving to benefit their kids. How selfish.

[pegasus]

After reading what some mums get - I believe that anyone who is receiving less than assessed should look at getting what it should be.

Theoretically access shouldn't be affected by support (okay so it does after 110 nights - or in the new agreement after 40nights or something), but when my hubby pays more than 5times what some of you ladies say you receive for you two children, then regardless of the fact that hubby's ex gets a lot (plus the rest), I believe that the others of you are not getting the amounts that will assist your kids the best.

See how you go to talk to hubby - may be you can come to a good private agreement and save your relationship with your ex from souring as well. After all, a strong emotional support for your daughter beats whatever financial backing he gets.

[Dadandtwo]

Hi

Funny enough, I've just recently done an assessment of the reverse kind to what you're talking about as I was paying a fortune for our two kids who we share 50/50 while at the time my ex tripled her salary in the last 6 months from the amount my payments were being based on. I rang the CSA first to check how it's all done (my ex and I have a private agreement). They were pretty helpful. My ex is OK with this though. It will kick in next pay (a drop of $100 a fortnight) although I'm still paying $300. At least now I'll have a bit of a life with the kids.

[pegasus]

Hi

Funny enough, I've just recently done an assessment of the reverse kind to what you're talking about as I was paying a fortune for our two kids who we share 50/50 while at the time my ex tripled her salary in the last 6 months from the amount my payments were being based on. I rang the CSA first to check how it's all done (my ex and I have a private agreement). They were pretty helpful. My ex is OK with this though. It will kick in next pay (a drop of $100 a fortnight) although I'm still paying $300. At least now I'll have a bit of a life with the kids.


Glad you have an amicable arrangement. When my hubby took a pay cut ($20k) to move back interstate to be nearer the kids after being away for 2years (where he had been paying more as he'd had a higher paying job - one of the reasons we'd moved interstate). It took 4months to have the maintenance reduced as although he could prove he was earning less, they sent paperwork to the ex, and had to have her respond, she didn't, got a bit more time at the higher rate, meanwhile we maxed out the credit cards and then refinanced the house to get ourselves out of the hole.

This is why the reassessment method isn't altogether fair and if you can come to an agreement outside of the agency then it is better for the kids, we were telling the ex we couldn't see the kids as we couldn't afford the fuel (2 x round trips of 200km for one access visit as she wouldn't do any drop offs) - it was $1.40/L at the time and everything was a struggle.

Anything to help the kids - the amount you've been getting (OP) seems very small and if you're ex is now earning, he's had a chance to get on his feet, so some extra for your child will only help.

[Dadandtwo]

This is why the reassessment method isn't altogether fair and if you can come to an agreement outside of the agency then it is better for the kids, we were telling the ex we couldn't see the kids as we couldn't afford the fuel (2 x round trips of 200km for one access visit as she wouldn't do any drop offs) - it was $1.40/L at the time and everything was a struggle.

Yes, the method isn't fair at all. One size really doesn't fit all. A lot of mothers don't get enough as their ex's see it as money going to the mother only (as miss_alitz said), not the kid/s and do their best not to pay or in a case I know of where the guy owned his own business, the fiddling of the books occurs so it looks like they are earning less than they actually are. Then there's the other side like mine where I pay a fortune only to see my ex going on trips to QLD and everywhere while I'm kinda stuck here. My ex doesn't even have a full fridge as she eats at her parents or friends houses she tells me. So not sure exactly what I am paying for apart from the holidays:mad:

Agree though, if you're recieving less than you should be, there needs to be follow up. No idea how it affects the Centrelink side though.

[pegasus]

Agree though, if you're recieving less than you should be, there needs to be follow up. No idea how it affects the Centrelink side though.

As far as I know it's a 60/40 thing. For every dollar extra received in child support, you lose 40c in Centrelink. (Something like that anyway - could be you lose 60c in Centrelink). Either way - Child support is worth more than a pension.