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Solicitors for child maintenance payments
When a family breaks down, one of the key considerations is the financial needs of the separating couple and any children.
Child maintenance is a set payment made from one parent to another to cover living expenses and is calculated based on different criteria and circumstances. ( The government has a helpful online calculator).
read moreIdeally, parents will negotiate and agree on the amount of maintenance and what it will cover between themselves. If this is not possible, an application can be made to the CMS (Child Maintenance Service). The CMS is a government-run agency that arranges and collects maintenance payments.
Using their extensive experience, our team of child law solicitors have supported many families to resolve maintenance issues both directly and through the CMS and, in rare cases, the court system.
Key child law information
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What is a child arrangements order? |
A child arrangements order is a court order determining who cares for a child. It specifies:
The order can also include other types of contact, such as phone calls, video calls, and letters. |
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What is child maintenance? |
Child maintenance is a payment from one parent to another to cover living expenses. Ideally, parents agree on the amount and what it covers themselves. If not, they can apply to the Child Maintenance Service(CMS),a government agency that arranges and collects maintenance payments. |
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What child custody laws might you and your partner need to resolve? |
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Our child law services
Resolving child maintenance issues
The best solution is for you and your ex-partner to agree on maintenance and manage the process directly. This reduces the need for CMS fees and any potential court/legal fees. It also means the maintenance can be flexed (with both sides agreement) if circumstances change.
read moreHowever, these arrangements are not legally enforceable, so they are not suitable for all families. To make the agreement legally binding, you can apply to the court to turn it into a consent order. However, either parent can opt out after 12 months and choose to go to the CMS.
The CMS is a government service that will arrange and collect maintenance on the relevant parents’ behalf, helping reduce conflict and any payment issues.
In certain circumstances, for example, if one parent lives aboard, you can seek an order for child maintenance from the courts.
Making decisions about the future financial security of your family is stressful. So let us help take the strain; our legal team works within this area of the law every day and is highly knowledgeable about its complexities and processes.
Meet our child maintenance solicitors
We offer an award winning service
Why choose Stowe Family Law?
As the only national law firm fully dedicated to family matters, our expert team offers professional advice so you can make a fully informed decision about your divorce.
We are proud to be rated ‘Excellent’ on Trustpilot. Check out our reviews to see what our previous clients have said about our service.
We feature in The Legal 500 rankings and are fully authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).
We keep you informed. Take a look at our support section, which features a range of helpful guides, focusing on important topics including finances and mediation.
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Let's ask Mr S N
Pooja Patel helped me through cases involving my children and divorce. She is very supportive and was very amazing and got the results needed in very difficult circumstances. I’m thankful l had Pooja at my side and do not know what l would have done without her.Let's ask Legal 500
Jemma Slavin is a passionate advocate of her clients’ causes and knows each case extremely well. Jemma is alive to what the client needs from the legal proceedings and does all she can to help them achieve it.Let's ask Mrs S
Hi Joanna ... Thank you very much for all your help, understanding and support through all of this. You dealt with my ex brilliantly and, as you say, got the result we wanted! Such a relief. I must also pass on my thanks and appreciation to Jemma who was showed me lots of compassion on that first phone call and held my hand through those beginning … Read morestages. Stowe's holistic ethos was such a revelation and I got lots of brilliant advice and therapy as a result of using your company. Thanks again.Let's ask Mr A
Having received a devastating blow that my ex-wife was planning to relocate with our daughter I researched lawyers and as soon as I spoke to Rebecca (Calden Storr) her calm, professional and reassuring nature made the decision to pick Stowe Family Law easy. Rebecca held our hand throughout the process and I can't recommend her highly enough. She ex… Read moreplains everything in simple terms so we fully understood everything happening and her advice was second to none. As a father, you are sometimes made to feel like the underdog but Rebecca never did this and reassured me that we had a good case. Most importantly we achieved an end result that reflected our daughter's wishes and meant that my time with her has increased to shared care. My partner and I couldn't be happier. Thank youLet's ask Mrs O
Charlotte Newman was supportive, professional and made the stressful process of divorce and child custody less daunting. She was available when I needed her and I couldn't be more grateful for all her help. I would highly recommend!Let's ask Ms G
I would like to thank Kate Sarsfield, QC Katherine Dunseath and Gill Bridger for all the hard work and immense support they have all given me over the past six months. Stowe handled my divorce in 2013 to 2015 and then a capital settlement plus lifetime maintenance for our down syndrome daughter five years later. It has been an extremely emotional… Read more and stressful experience for myself and our two special needs children. I cannot thank the Stowe team enough for their professionalism, quality advice, empathy and wonderful support. We fought a very hard battle and won! I will always recommend Stowe Family Law.Let's ask Mr B
Very professional and always quick to respond to emails etc. Maria gave extremely useful advice, and was happy for me to fill out forms and complete statements myself to keep the costs down. She also recommended a barrister who was brilliant on the big day, and helped me to get a good result for me and my son. I would definitely recommend Stowe Fam… Read moreily Law to anybody going through child arrangements disputes.
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