Maintenance

Jess 1998

Hey guys last time I asked this I got loads of abuse so please if you have nothing nice to say then don't say it. So I've been with my boyfriend for 2 years and we have a 5 month old baby together. I'm 19 and he's 23. I am planning on going to college next September to do my nursing and for the time being we are applying for fis I currently get €150 of social welfare and he is getting €350. He works from 4.30pm until3am. He is currently paying €70 a week for his 2 other kids. He was paying €100 but when we moved in together he put it down to €70. We live in a 1 bedroom flat our expenses include
Rent €130 a week
Food €120 a week including baby milk nappies medicine etc
Electricity €45 a week (we have storage heating) which uses electricity
Internet €13 a week
That leaves us with roughly €120 a week left and we are currently paying off a debt he has from when he was with her which is €900. We are trying to save for our wedding and a car but we clearly don't have much money so we never get to do family things. So if we took her to court would it be lowered. I am with this teen parent program and they told me he is paying to much. She has a good job (and fair play to her) gets €280 a month child benefit money from us free child care and has a boyfriend who is on welfare. She can afford a nice 5 bedroom house and a car. Now please don't use the why she get less blah blah blah. I would happily give her €100 a week if we could afford it. We will only get €120 extra when we get fis. We used to take the girls every Sunday but one day she just stopped being them in. She lives half an hour away and we have no car so we will have to bring her to court over visition but want to get the maintenance sorted first. Will him not seeing the kids effect how much he would have to pay. And does anyone know roughly what he could end up paying a week.

phoebethecat

Jess 1998 wrote: »

Hey guys last time I asked this I got loads of abuse so please if you have nothing nice to say then don't say it. So I've been with my boyfriend for 2 years and we have a 5 month old baby together. I'm 19 and he's 23. I am planning on going to college next September to do my nursing and for the time being we are applying for fis I currently get €150 of social welfare and he is getting €350. He works from 4.30pm until3am. He is currently paying €70 a week for his 2 other kids. He was paying €100 but when we moved in together he put it down to €70. We live in a 1 bedroom flat our expenses include
Rent €130 a week
Food €120 a week including baby milk nappies medicine etc
Electricity €45 a week (we have storage heating) which uses electricity
Internet €13 a week
That leaves us with roughly €120 a week left and we are currently paying off a debt he has from when he was with her which is €900. We are trying to save for our wedding and a car but we clearly don't have much money so we never get to do family things. So if we took her to court would it be lowered. I am with this teen parent program and they told me he is paying to much. She has a good job (and fair play to her) gets €280 a month child benefit money from us free child care and has a boyfriend who is on welfare. She can afford a nice 5 bedroom house and a car. Now please don't use the why she get less blah blah blah. I would happily give her €100 a week if we could afford it. We will only get €120 extra when we get fis. We used to take the girls every Sunday but one day she just stopped being them in. She lives half an hour away and we have no car so we will have to bring her to court over visition but want to get the maintenance sorted first. Will him not seeing the kids effect how much he would have to pay. And does anyone know roughly what he could end up paying a week.

Hi Jess,

It sounds as though you are having a tough time and as a single mum I know how hard it can be. Your best option is to go to your local FLAC (Free Legal Aid Clinic) or to the Legal Aid Board. €70 is around 20% of your partner's income which is perfectly reasonable.

The courts will not care what you are saving for, or who she lives with (as long as it is declared and legal, it is pretty much irrelevant- sadly). Is your boyfriend the children's guardian?

You used the word 'visitation' which is an Americanism: it has no relevance in Ireland. The unmarried parent without custody in Ireland can apply for access but an unmarried mother has sole custody (in general; there are exceptions).

If you are in council housing you should not have storage heating as it costs too much. Check your contract.

Best Wishes

barman linen

Jess...you sound like you are running a tight ship very well.

My experience with family courts is that it is highly unlikely that a Judge will reduce the maintenance below 70 a week based on what you have shown.

You say he drooped the maintenance to 70 when you moved in together so this sounds like a voluntary arrangement as he cannot simply decide to change a court ordered maintenance amount.

There is a risk that it could even be raised - depending on what the other mother shows the court and the emotions displayed on the day.

It may not be fair but just giving you my experience.