Can I Leave the CSA and Come to a Private Arrangement?

Due to recent changes in child support laws, it is now possible to leave the Child Support Agency (CSA) and come to a private arrangement about financial provision for your child. Before the change in the law, if a parent with care was on benefit, they were required to use the CSA. Now it is possible to make a private arrangement if you are on benefits, and the parent with care who is on benefits is also entitled to keep more of the maintenance before it has any effect on the benefits they receive.

Of course, resident parents may want to take some time to think this through. If they do not have another definite arrangement in force, and the non-resident parent is simply promising to pay maintenance, they should consider coming to a private arrangement. There is no requirement to have an agreement in place before leaving the CSA. It is necessary to keep the CSA informed as to what you decide, however, as otherwise they will continue to try to collect money from the non resident parent.

Coming to a Private Arrangement

If you are thinking of coming to a private arrangement, there are several things you should know. A private arrangement is just that – there are no authorities involved and it is purely an agreement between you and the resident parent. It is vital, therefore, that you and your ex-partner are able to communicate honestly, openly and calmly with one another for a private agreement to have any chance of working. If you’re able to do this, you’re more likely to co-operate with one another.

Statistically speaking, parents who were not able to come to an arrangement prior to CSA involvement are less likely to be able to agree matters informally. Don’t let that put you off if you both genuinely want to try to make a private arrangement.

Making a Private Arrangement Enforceable

It is possible to create a binding agreement from a private arrangement for Child Maintenance Payments. Unless you’re eligible for legal aid, you’re likely to have to pay a solicitor to do this for you. The terms of your private agreement will be recorded on a document which becomes a consent order in the family courts.

Private arrangements involve a certain level of trust between the parents. Negotiations should therefore focus on the best interests of your child or children, and you should ensure that you have had discussions before coming to a suitable figure. This may mean discussing all the elements of your child’s upbringing that involves cost.

Not only is it important to decide how much money is paid, but you need to decide when and how payments are made. If you have this in writing, you and the other parent are more likely to stick to it. You may also want to make provision in the event that your circumstances change, for example, if you lose your job.