Not exact matches
The
Child Maintenance Service is for when you and the
other parent can't agree to a family - based
arrangement.
Usually and ideally, a GAL would take an active role in parenting questions, while taking a secondary role in property division and
maintenance with the primary concern being that the economic
arrangements are sustainable and don't subject the
child to hardship when with the
other parent (e.g. many divorcing parents fail to realize that maintaining two households will result in more
child related expenses than one).
A family - based
arrangement means you and the
other parent agree together how you will arrange
child maintenance for your
child.
if you're separating from the
other parent or are not living with them and you need to set up a
child maintenance arrangement
If you and your spouse agree on
arrangements for spousal
maintenance, division of property,
child support, custody and visitation, and
other issues that arise on the dissolution of your marriage, then the judge will likely «rubber stamp» your
arrangements.
With a private
arrangement, you and the
other parent can agree between yourselves how much
child maintenance should be paid, and how often.
There is however now a requirement for any parent applying for a
child maintenance assessment to consider alternatives such as entering into a «family based
arrangement» i.e. agreeing with the
other parent how much
maintenance should be paid.
A family - based
child maintenance arrangement doesn't have to just mean one parent paying money to the
other.
Health Insurance - coverage under a fee - for - service
arrangement, health care
maintenance organization, or preferred provider organization, and
other types of coverage available to either parent, under which medical services could be provided to a minor or dependent
child.
Separating parents can resolve
arrangements for the
children including, where the
children will live, how often the
children will see the
other parent,
child maintenance, schooling and education.
The spouse / civil partner if the parent of the
child / ren or
other parent of the
child may also be visited by a Social Welfare Inspector in order to review
child dependency and
maintenance arrangements.
And the
child maintenance arrangement you make could take into account the times you regularly care for your
child, as well as
other types of financial support.
If you can't reach agreement with the
other parent and make a
child maintenance arrangement by yourselves, the Government runs a statutory service that can arrange
child maintenance on your behalf.
What's more, parents can find it easier to make
arrangements about
other things once
child maintenance has been agreed — so it's often a real incentive to get the financial side of things sorted.
You can ask the statutory
child maintenance services to put a
child maintenance arrangement in place, without you having to contact the
other parent.
If you choose to make a family - based
arrangement about
child maintenance, there are certain things you may want to have ready for your discussion with the
other parent (see how to make a family - based
arrangement).
If you can't agree, or if an
arrangement between parents isn't working, there are
other ways to arrange
child maintenance.
If you arrange
child maintenance using a family - based
arrangement, you're free to decide the amount one parent pays the
other.
In making an equitable apportionment of marital property, the family court must give weight in such proportion as it finds appropriate to all of the following factors: (1) the duration of the marriage along with the ages of the parties at the time of the marriage and at the time of the divorce; (2) marital misconduct or fault of either or both parties, if the misconduct affects or has affected the economic circumstances of the parties or contributed to the breakup of the marriage; (3) the value of the marital property and the contribution of each spouse to the acquisition, preservation, depreciation, or appreciation in value of the marital property, including the contribution of the spouse as homemaker; (4) the income of each spouse, the earning potential of each spouse, and the opportunity for future acquisition of capital assets; (5) the health, both physical and emotional, of each spouse; (6) either spouse's need for additional training or education in order to achieve that spouse's income potential; (7) the non marital property of each spouse; (8) the existence or nonexistence of vested retirement benefits for each or either spouse; (9) whether separate
maintenance or alimony has been awarded; (10) the desirability of awarding the family home as part of equitable distribution or the right to live therein for reasonable periods to the spouse having custody of any
children; (11) the tax consequences to each or either party as a result of equitable apportionment; (12) the existence and extent of any prior support obligations; (13) liens and any
other encumbrances upon the marital property and any
other existing debts; (14)
child custody
arrangements and obligations at the time of the entry of the order; and (15) such
other relevant factors as the trial court shall expressly enumerate in its order.