Child maintenance is normally calculated by formula rather than argued in court. The Child Maintenance Service uses the paying parent's gross income from HMRC data.
The main steps
- Take the paying parent's gross annual income.
- Adjust for their own pension contributions and other children they support.
- Apply the rate band for the number of children.
- Reduce for shared care, based on the number of nights per year.
Family based arrangements
If you agree between yourselves you avoid CMS fees and keep flexibility for extras like school trips and uniforms. Put it in writing so both of you have the same reference point.
This article is general information about the law of England and Wales, not legal advice. For advice on your situation, speak to a solicitor.