Child Maintenance Solicitors
When parents separate, it can be difficult to know how to approach child maintenance. You may be trying to keep conversations calm, protect your child’s wellbeing and make practical decisions at a time when family life already feels unsettled. It is not always easy to know what should be paid, what would be fair, or what to do when an arrangement no longer works in practice.
For some parents, child maintenance can be agreed privately and reviewed as family life changes. For others, the position may be less straightforward, particularly where there are questions about income, care arrangements, missed payments or costs that fall outside the usual calculation.
At Cullimore Dutton, our family law solicitors help you understand your position clearly, calmly and without unnecessary conflict. We explain your options simply, help you consider what is realistic, and guide you towards an arrangement that supports your child while giving you greater certainty.
More guidance, more clarity and more reassurance than you might expect from a standard service.
If you would like advice about child maintenance, call us today or complete the form below and we will arrange an initial conversation.
What child maintenance advice helps you achieve
Child maintenance advice gives you a clearer understanding of what should happen next. It helps you separate the emotional pressure of a family breakdown from the practical questions that need to be answered: what should be paid, how payments should be made, what happens if circumstances change, and what can be done if payments are not made.
For some parents, this means putting a private agreement in place, so payments are predictable and additional costs are handled sensibly. For others, it means understanding whether a proposed amount reflects the true financial picture, or what can be done if payments have stopped.
Child maintenance often sits alongside wider family law issues. If you are divorcing or separating, decisions about maintenance may need to be considered alongside arrangements for the children, the family home and the wider financial settlement. We help you understand how each part fits together, so decisions are made with care rather than in isolation.
Where the standard child maintenance route does not cover everything, we can advise on additional options. This is particularly important where income is more complex, where a child has needs that require extra provision, or where the court may have a role in deciding what financial support is appropriate.
Why work with Cullimore Dutton
Child maintenance is a sensitive subject because it touches both money and parenting. You may be trying to protect your child’s standard of living, manage your own financial responsibilities, or avoid turning an already difficult separation into a more stressful dispute.
At Cullimore Dutton, we take a calm, practical approach. We listen carefully, explain the law in plain language, and help you understand the difference between what can be agreed privately, what may need a formal calculation, and what may require further legal advice.
Our heritage dates back to 1792, and that long history reflects the trust families have placed in us across generations. We combine careful legal advice with clear communication, so you are not left unsure about what is happening or what your options mean in practice.
We are also one of the few firms able to offer legal and financial advice under one roof. That joined-up perspective can be especially helpful where child maintenance forms part of a wider picture, such as decisions about the family home, a divorce settlement or longer-term financial planning.
That means fewer moving parts for you, and a clearer view of the decisions you need to make.
Costs and fees
Cullimore Dutton’s advice is charged on a fixed fee or time served basis depending on the services required. In many instances, there are additional third-party fees which are also chargeable.
We will explain what is likely to apply in your circumstances and provide a clear estimate tailored to your situation, so you can make informed decisions without unnecessary uncertainty.
Child maintenance issues we commonly advise on
A private child maintenance agreement can be a good option where both parents are able to communicate and want a flexible arrangement, reducing the need for formal involvement.
We can help you think through what the agreement should cover, including how payments will work in practice and when the arrangement should be reviewed. We can also help you consider how extra costs should be approached, so both parents have a clearer understanding of what is expected.
We will also explain the limits of a private agreement, including what may happen if payments stop or one parent later wants a formal calculation.
Sometimes a private arrangement is not possible. One parent may not engage, the figures may be disputed, or the arrangement may have become too uncertain to rely on.
In those situations, a formal child maintenance calculation may be needed. We can advise you on the likely route, what information may be relevant, and how any calculation may sit alongside your wider family law matter.
Our role is not to make the process feel more complicated. It is to help you understand what is likely to matter, what evidence may be useful, and whether any further advice is needed before you take the next step.
Child maintenance can be more difficult where income is not straightforward. This may be the case where a parent’s earnings change from year to year, or where their financial position is shaped by a business, company structure or other sources of income.
It can also be difficult where one parent believes the other parent’s declared income does not reflect their actual resources. In those circumstances, we can help you consider what questions need to be asked, what documents may be relevant, and whether further steps may be available.
We approach these cases carefully and proportionately. The focus is on understanding the financial picture and helping you decide what is sensible, not creating unnecessary confrontation.
When child maintenance payments are missed, reduced without agreement, or paid unpredictably, it can place real strain on the parent caring for a child day to day.
We can help you understand what options may be available based on how the arrangement was set up. Sometimes the issue can be addressed through clear correspondence or a revised agreement. In other cases, a more formal route may be needed to calculate, collect or enforce payments.
If you have been managing without support for some time, or if the arrears have started to build up, it is still worth taking advice. The available options will depend on the circumstances, but a clear plan can help you decide what to do next.
In some families, ordinary child maintenance does not answer every question. There may be additional costs linked to a child’s education, care or day-to-day needs, or a financial position that means further support may need to be considered.
The court can have a role in specific circumstances, including applications for financial provision for a child. This may be relevant for unmarried parents, high-income cases, or situations where a child has particular needs that are not fully addressed through the usual maintenance route.
We can advise on whether this may apply to your circumstances, whether an application would be proportionate, and how it fits with the wider family arrangements.
Child maintenance and wider family arrangements
Child maintenance rarely exists in a vacuum. It often forms part of a bigger moment in family life.
Whether you are divorcing or separating as unmarried parents, child maintenance should be considered in the context of the wider family arrangements. That may include housing, property, care arrangements and the financial support needed to give your child stability.
Where parents are still agreeing how care will be shared, it is also important to understand the difference between child arrangements and child maintenance. They are separate issues, but the amount of time a child spends with each parent can affect the practical and financial position.
We help you look at these matters together, so decisions are not made in disconnected pieces. Where it would be helpful, we can also coordinate with our in-house financial planning team, giving you joined-up legal and financial advice under one roof.
Who will work on your child maintenance matter?
Your matter will be led by a fully qualified family lawyer with experience in divorce and financial remedy work. Some elements may also be supported by other experienced members of the team and our support staff, but we will always be clear about who is doing what and who your point of contact is.
Our team are experts in this area of the law, we have received the Family Law Accreditations from The Law Society.
Our Client Relationship Director and Head of Family, Brenda Spain, has overall responsibility for the supervision of all work carried out by her team. Brenda is also listed as a Leading Lawyer by Wiselaw, recognising her as one of the top family law solicitors in Cheshire
Key Contact
Frequently asked questions about child maintenance
Child maintenance is the regular financial support paid towards a child’s everyday living costs. It is usually paid by the parent who does not have the main day-to-day care of the child, although every family’s arrangements can look different.
Yes. Many parents agree child maintenance privately. This can work well where communication is reliable and both parents are comfortable with the arrangement. It is sensible to record what has been agreed, including the amount, payment date, review date and how additional expenses will be handled.
If agreement is not possible, there are formal routes for calculating child maintenance. We can advise you on the likely process, what information may be needed, and whether any additional legal issues should be considered.
We can help you understand the likely approach, check whether key information has been considered, and advise on any issues that may affect the position. Where a formal calculation is needed, this will usually be dealt with through the appropriate statutory process.
Child maintenance can be harder to assess where income changes, a parent is self-employed, money is taken through dividends, or you are concerned that the full financial picture has not been shown. We can help you consider what information may be relevant, what questions need to be asked, and whether further steps may be appropriate.
If payments stop, the right next step will depend on how the arrangement was set up. We can help you understand whether the issue can be resolved through correspondence, whether a formal calculation is needed, or whether enforcement options may be available.
Some additional costs can be agreed between parents, including school fees, childcare, travel, clubs, activities or other regular expenses. In some circumstances, school fees or other specific costs may need separate legal consideration. We can advise on how best to approach these issues and whether a formal agreement or court application may be appropriate.
Where income is above the level usually dealt with through the standard calculation, there may be scope to consider additional financial provision for the child. We can advise on whether that may apply and what route may be appropriate.
International cases can be more complex. The available route may depend on where each parent lives, where the child lives, and whether there are arrangements between the relevant countries. We can help you understand what may be possible.
Contact Cullimore Dutton’s child maintenance solicitors today
Whether you are trying to agree child maintenance for the first time, dealing with payments that have become uncertain, or facing more complex issues around income, school fees or additional support for your child, we will listen carefully and guide you through the next step in a way that feels manageable.
Cullimore Dutton is one of the most established law firms in Cheshire, with a heritage dating back over 200 years. From our offices in Chester & Knutsford, we support clients across the region, including Wilmslow, Alderley Edge, Prestbury, Bowdon and Hale.
You can expect careful legal advice, straightforward explanations, and a team that takes the time to understand what matters in your family’s circumstances.Because we offer both legal and financial services under one roof, we can help you look at child maintenance in the context of the wider picture.
Call us or complete the form below to arrange an initial conversation. We will understand what you want to achieve, answer your immediate questions, and explain the next best step.