Separating or divorcing with children involved can be stressful, and figuring out child support can add to the worry. The good news is the UK government provides a free Child Support Calculator to help estimate how much child maintenance should be paid.
What is Child Maintenance?
Child maintenance, also called child support, is a regular payment made by one parent (the paying parent) to the other parent (the receiving parent) to help with the costs of raising their children.
Who Can Use the Child Support Calculator?
This calculator is for anyone who wants to get an idea of how much child maintenance should be paid or received. It can be used by:
- Parents who are separating or divorcing
- Parents who are already separated or divorced but haven’t yet agreed on child maintenance
- Anyone who wants to check if an existing child maintenance arrangement is fair
What Does the Calculator Do?
The calculator won’t give you a legally binding answer, but it will give you a good starting point for discussions with your ex-partner. It considers several factors to estimate child maintenance, including:
- Paying parent’s income: You’ll need to enter the paying parent’s gross weekly income (before taxes and deductions).
- Number of children: The calculator will consider how many children the maintenance is for.
- Shared care: If the children spend a significant amount of time with both parents (overnights), this can affect the amount.
- Other children: The calculator takes into account if the paying parent has other children they financially support.
Using the Calculator:
The Child Support Calculator is available on a website https://www.csa-calculator.co.uk/. It’s straightforward to use and anonymous – your details are not stored or sent to anyone.
Important to Remember:
- The calculator provides an estimate, and the final amount of child maintenance may be different.
- You and your ex-partner can agree on a different amount if it suits your circumstances better.
- If you can’t agree, the Child Maintenance Service can help you work out a formal arrangement.