# Child maintenance - how much roughly per week?



## Singlemum (2 Jun 2019)

Is there a maintenance calculator for Ireland that anyone could link me to? 

My own details as follows:
Income:
Work and working family payment top up totalling net 432 p/w
Cb 140 p/m 
Have medical card so entitled to free school bus and BTSA of 150 for the year. 

Outgoings:
Mortgage 630 p/m
Car loan 270 p/m
Diesel 150 p/m
Childcare 200 p/m
Usual other bills, insurances and food costs involved in running a home. 
Child does 3 activities per week. 

Other parent has very little contact with child, maybe sees child 5 times a year for a few hours - other parents choice and this is not court ordered as is not named on birth cert, again other parents choice. Currently provides 200 p/m and no extras for birthday/school/christmas etc. Other parent earns circa 55k per annum and has two other dependents with new partner. 

Does this seem reasonable?


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## Thirsty (2 Jun 2019)

Maintenance is based on each parents income and outgoings, so you'll need an affidavit of means from the other parent.

I'd recommend getting a maintenance order in place, you can make the application yourself.

Forget asking about what's 'reasonable'. If you were still living together, your child would benefit from both your incomes.

That benefit will, of necessity, be reduced, you can't maintain two households to the same standard as one household from the same incomes.

But your child is still entitled to be supported by both parents.

I haven't checked it recently, but the max figure that could be awarded in District Court used to be €150 per wk.


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## Singlemum (3 Jun 2019)

Thank you for your reply.
We never lived together and he did not see the child for the first few years of the childs life as he had no interest in parenting, just always transferred the money to my account and that was it. I really did not want to have to bring this to a court room, was hoping to get an idea of what people thought  was acceptable and either speak to him about giving more money if that was the general consensus on it or just to leave things as they are.


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## Thirsty (3 Jun 2019)

Here's the thing, it's your child's money not yours. 

You can't make an estimate of what your child's maintenance should be without an affidavit of means. So ask the other parent to complete one.

Getting a maintenance order does not have to be adversarial, if you've agreed the amount then the order is a rubber stamp.  It will make it easier to get a variation in the future.


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## NoRegretsCoyote (3 Jun 2019)

Why is he not named on the birth certificate? 

I would guess that if it goes legal and difficult he could deny that he is the father at all. The fact that he has been contributing 200 pm would work against this claim to a large extent however.


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## luckystar (3 Jun 2019)

It's v v v hard to give an amount but a very general amount would be €40-60 per week depending on income and outgoings plus 50% childcare. Again v general. 
On the other hand work out exactly the costs associated purely with the child and try figure out a contribution that way. But looking at childcare cost, going on €40 pw plus childcare then €250ish might be more reasonable. Can you contact him re: this and see if he's prepared to contribute more? Sometimes going straight for a court date can stir up other issues... maybe try a mediator if he's not willing to compromise?


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## Thirsty (3 Jun 2019)

> Why is he not named on the birth certificate?


Personal choice it would seem.  It's not a requirement.



> I would guess that if it goes legal and difficult he could deny that he is the father at all.


Waste of time.  Court can order a DNA test.


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## Thirsty (3 Jun 2019)

> It's v v v hard to give an amount but a very general amount would be €40-60 per week depending on income and outgoings plus 50% childcare. Again v general.


This is rubbish.  Child maintenance is based on both parents income and expenditure.



> On the other hand work out exactly the costs associated purely with the child and try figure out a contribution that way.


Again this is rubbish. Child maintenance is based on both parents income and expenditure.

You cannot estimate what the child's maintenance should be without an affidavit of means.   You need to have it completed.

Child maintenance is the legal right of your child, it's not a 'favour' granted in charity from the non-residential parent.

It's not necessary to 'go straight to court'.  

But it is advisable to get a maintenance order in place, to protect both parties and more importantly the child who needs to be maintained.


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## Singlemum (3 Jun 2019)

Thank you all for your input. He was never named on the cert because he refused to be and at the time I just thought it was easier to leave it alone. He has only been in the childs life the past few years and that was purely by coincidence really, not that the he actually wanted or wants to be around at all, it is purely out of a sense of obligation. I have sent him forms to see if he can be added to the cert but he ignored it. He really just sees the child as a courtesy rather than because he wants to. If I told him I needed a further contribution he would absolutely agree to it but I just don't want to do that if what he already provides is deemed enough. He is pretty easy to deal with when I need to deal with him and would not now deny the child is his but if the advice is to get a maintenance order then perhaps this is what is best all round.


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## Thirsty (3 Jun 2019)

The maintenance order shouldn't be seen as a big deal, it documents and registers the parents support, as well as protecting the child's interest.

Heaven forbid that anything should happen to you (and btw have you made a will?); but with a legal document in place it makes it easier should the unlooked for event happen.


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## Singlemum (3 Jun 2019)

Thank you for the information Thirsty. I am actually meeting up with a solicitor in the next week in order to discuss the will and it was her that had mentioned the maintenance payment and a few other things which set the cogs turning in my brain on this. It probably makes sense to get her to discuss the maintenance order with me while we are there because you are right, things are far too casual at the moment and none of us are getting younger.


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## NoRegretsCoyote (4 Jun 2019)

Thirsty said:


> Waste of time.  Court can order a DNA test.



Obviously in extremis. But this would be expensive and time consuming.


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## Thirsty (4 Jun 2019)

Don't think you quite know how this works....

Primary carer applies for child maintenance in District Court
Other party says - nope I'm not the father.
Judge orders DNA test & non-resident parent has to pay for it (around €500 last time I checked).
Other party either believes they are not the father & will pay for the DNA test to prove it or will agree that yes they are.

Not that difficult or time-consuming, or expensive or 'in extremis'.  Happens all the time in District Court.


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