Child Maintenance

[Jbird]

If a child needs extra tuition outside of school, should the payment of this come out of the child maintenance that is paid to the resident payment?

[Jbird]

I'm going to walk away soon, but just want to explain to you all what I meant when I said 'absent parent'. I did not mean it in this senario!! I meant it, as in all those people who literally walk away from, and have no contact with their children, but who have the child maintenance taken from their bank accounts, and it goes straight into the resident parents bank account - with no contact.

So, in that case, her child had extra tuition, she is not in contact with the father, but he pays maintenance, she would for pay it..... yes? Just like she would pay for a pair of shoes, dinner on the table, roof over her head - all with the maintenance contributions from her father..... being absent, but under the control of CSA.

In THIS situation, the Dad is ever present. He wants to try to help his kids as best he can, which is difficult for him... (see previous posts). All he has done is to arrange a private tutor once a week to assist his daughter in her maths, and the mum is now kicking off that she is now down £12.50 a week and claiming she can't afford it.

She can however, afford a new set of acrylic nails every week and a new hair colour every month.

Does anyone see where I'm coming from yet?

[bednobs]

not really, sorry. If the dad instigated the tutor he should have worked out the finances first. In your first scenario, if the parent has no contact, it would have been the mum's decision whether to get a tutor or not but you make it sound like the mum had no choice anyway.
maintenance is just that - to maintain the children - to feed, clothe and house them, it dosen't include a calculation for private tutors

[pink-kittens]

jbird, yes, I think all of us can see where you are coming from but that cannot be the issue here

You asked if the dad could do what he has done with his maintenance and he, as the absent parent, (see previous posts for the meaning of this phrase) cannot deduct anything from a CSA/court ordered payment. However, because this is a private arrangement he can basically do what he wishes with his payments.
Whether or not the mum can afford new nails/hair/clothes or what ever is neither here nor there but yes, I do see where you are going with it

This is why private arrangements between hostile parents are never a good idea because each one gets lost in the cycle of 'well s/he can afford to do such and such so I can do so and so ...' so on and so forth and the BEST interests of the child are totally forgotten, such as here. If the child needs the extra tuition then so be it and both parents should cough up half each but to argue over a paltry £12.50 is beyond my comprehension - in this case BOTH parents are wrong. He should not have deducted the money BUT she should have offered to cough up half and not expect the father to pay it by himself – but maybe she doesn't agree with the child getting the extra help?

Jbird, I understand and get everything you say and know exactly where you are coming from but if I were you, I'd walk away from this argument and let them belt it out themselves or, as both myself and evil have said, the father should go via the CSA for an on the record, set in stone, non deductible payment which from the sound of things, will be less than he is paying now and therefore he can pay for the whole tuition amount himself! Solved all round