until what age do you pay child maintenance?

A question about : until what age do you pay child maintenance?

Can anyone please confirm what age you should pay child maintenance till if your child continues education after the age of 16. I pay my maintenace volunteraly (ie; not by court order or through CSA) but I have been given unofficial conflicting views as to whether it is until my child is 18 or 19, or even 21 if they go onto university?.

Best answers:

• I would say as long as you think they need it. If your child goes to work at 16, and becomes independent and isn't being supported by anyone, then you could consider stopping. Would you consider stopping payments if it was legal in a situation where you thought your child would still need your support?
• If your child is in full time education whether at school or college you should pay until they leave - ie when they reach 19 years old is the cut off point at least with the CSA.
  Whether your income is taken into account when they apply to university - re: Grants etc is something that I must look into as my son is considering University when he leaves college in 2008. I believe that parental income is what dictates how much or little help your children get when they attend university (irrespective of whether parents are divorced, separated or whatever)
  Swampy
• ----------
• I think most people pay maintianance to the parent-with-care up until the child leaves their home (well, or turns 18 and/or gets a job)
  If your child goes to uni and you still want to financially support him/her then the money should go directly to the child and all 'maintance' payements to your exwife would stop. You income would not be assessed when the child gets student fees / loan assessed - only the parent they live with.
• My brother is seperated and will pay for his 2 boys until they are 18 or until their further education finishes.....
• Hi, I am a newbie, so please forgive any errors..
  I have read this thread and I have a similar query.
  My daughter (19 in September 09) has decided to take a further A level course. Her mother (RP) has informed me (I am the NRP) that I am liable to continue maintenance payments until she finishes the new course.
  She is now seeking legal advice as I have told her that after my daughter is 19, I will no longer pay maintenance to the RP, but will give my daughter a 'contribution' directly.
  How do I stand, am I right or do I need to do some frantic 'Back-peddling' ?
  Thanks in advance
  Gusty
• The CSA will close a case when the child is 19 at the latest - or earlier if the child leaves full time - (non advanced) education
  hope this helps
• My ex and I have an order that is made in Canada - legally all maintenance would be paid for each child until they reach age 19, by which time the 'child' is considered to be able to get a job. This would stop if the child left school earlier and went into full time work, or, if the child left the home. However, it's always been assumed by their dad and I that the kids would go to university - so the one currently in university has his student loan, maintenance loan, his unviersity trust fund which he gets so much per year from, and he also gets the equivalent of his share of child support from his dad, and some help from myself and partner each month. Basically their dad said it's X dollars for child support for two, it's X dollars for one - only one remaining at home - the difference goes to the one at university. However.......with the child support guidelines in Canada it takes two seconds to figure out those figures! It was nice to come to that agreement though - as under the Canadian laws it would've been ordered anyway.
• So what happens when a child who is 16 leaves school and doesnt work? just stays at home playing computer games? Does the NRP still have to pay child maintence......sorry for jumping on to the thread, but my friends partners son has just left school without taking his GCSEs and the childs mother is happy enough for him to sit at home!! my friends oh isnt happy and says that he should be made to go out and get a job rather than be mollycoddled.......him mum said its not the right time for him!! he will go back next year and do them in the local college!!! what happens in a case like this?
• Is the child you're talking about mumffour77 going back to take his exams? If so, he could still be classified as 'in school'. No idea what the 'rulings' on that would be - but......unbelievable that the mum is willing for him to sit at home and not getting out there and being productive in some way.
• This happened to my OH recently. His daughter left F/T education for 9months, didn't work and the RP still claimed ChB for her. On paper this reads to the CSA as 'NR has ChB therefore they are entitled to maintenance'. After a bit of an argument with the CSA they decided that it was unfair of the NRP to have to support her when she was more than capable of getting a job or claiming benefits in her own right.
  Now that the RP has figured out that they are better off financially, the daughter has been forced to return to college for the EMA, ChB, Maintenance etc etc
• Usually child maintenance is only in place as long as there is an entitlement to child benefit for that child. ChB finishes when certain conditions apply such as leaving full time education, and no later than the 19th birthday - even if the young person is still in what may be considered as full time education. Once entitlement to child benefit ends, the child is classed as a young person. Hope this helps
• My daughter is 18 years old & at college doing hair dessing coarse 3 days a week am i still liable for payements.