CSA - Ex wants more than a pound of flesh

**The Lone Gunman** · 15 May 2007, 09:23

The experts will be along momentarily.

Might I suggest you tell her that you will make yourself unemployed and ask her for maintenance should she become unreasonable. It might work.

**rootsnall** · 15 May 2007, 09:35

Also not an expert but my mate after much aggro in a similar situation eventually downed tools and took his income down to a negligible level. His ex didn't get any money but there is still major aggro a few years on and a kid showing signs of being messed up by the whole thing. I'd advise trying to sort it out as amicably as possible.

**VectraMan** · 15 May 2007, 09:43

Originally posted by css_jay99

2) How the heck do I cut down what CSA wants off me legitimately, bigger pension .... invest company money in shares ...., buy New car ........
basically i guess its gotta be something that reduces the net profit and still beneficial for me in the longterm

Time to give up working for other people and develop the plan B. If you can work it so it doesn't start paying until after the kid's 18, then I guess you can escape the dreaded CSA. That's assuming you can survive in the meantime.

**Churchill** · 15 May 2007, 10:03

Originally posted by The Lone Gunman

The experts will be along momentarily.

Might I suggest you tell her that you will make yourself unemployed and ask her for maintenance should she become unreasonable. It might work.

I sent an email to this effect to my ex's Solicitor. He replied that the courts take a very dim view on this kind of behaviour...

Also, this may help. Taken from one of his emails...

I have explained to her that courts approach the issue of maintenance from a practical basis, but as a rough guide where the parties joint gross incomes are added together, if one party is not already receiving one-third of the joint incomes then the court looks at topping the other party up, so that they do receive one-third of the joint incomes. It does however all depend on needs as well as resources, so that is not an absolute rule but just a rough guide.

The silly twat doesn't realise that my ex has far more money than I could possibly hope to earn...

**AlfredJPruffock** · 15 May 2007, 10:08

Reading this thread there is much to be said for 'outsourcing' ones love life ...

**VectraMan** · 15 May 2007, 10:14

Originally posted by AlfredJPruffock

Reading this thread there is much to be said for 'outsourcing' ones love life ...

That still doesn't completely guarantee you won't get burnt by the CSA (and possibly get some other burning sensations as well).

**ratewhore** · 15 May 2007, 10:16

The CSA look at salary according to my brief so you could end up paying much less than you do now. However, either side can apply for a variation and this could be based on the divvys you take and/or the value of the company.

Bearing in mind the changes the CSA are going through, I wouldn't expect any new application to be turned around any time soon.

**Vito** · 15 May 2007, 10:22

As with anything, there are loopholes...I don't know facts I'm afraid but then again neither do any of the CSA muppets I've spoken to in the past, different story every time. You can ring their helpline without giving your details by the way.

Firstly, I don't think it takes into account Dividend payments, I may be wrong on this but that is certainly what one of the numpties told me...

Secondly, and this I am pretty sure about, during your first year of being self-employed they only ask that you pay the minimum (which I think is something like £5 per week or something equally silly) because they accept that they cannot fairly predict your income. So...what is to stop you closing down your limited every year and starting a new one stating a slightly different line of work when setting it up...I'm sure there is a fine line on this one and it is deffo a little naughty, but I bet its do-able.

I pay my ex £500 per month in line with my old permie salary from three years ago...I told her about the above and when I went self employed a couple of years ago she accepted that £500 per month was more that fair (given that I had walked away from a fully paid up 4 bed detached house with nothing, even left both cars) and we both agreed not to tell the CSA about my change in circumstances (despite popular belief, you are not obliged to)...she knows that if she ever goes back on this I will just close down my company and do something else working for myself...who knows, I may even do what you boys do and learn to press a few buttons on a keyboard and become an IT contractor...I used to write programmes with my old ZX48 so how hard can it be????

**DodgyAccountant** · 15 May 2007, 10:28

CSA do not count dividends as income. If you are taking a 'sensible' level of salary (~5K), your assessment should be minimal - about £20 per month.

Suggest you give money direcly to children - clothes, holidays, books etc.

If your ex gets a court order for maintenance, you are completely stuffed - no way out of paying even if you go bankrupt. Whether she may be able to do this is a question for a lawyer. Even if she got this, you could apply to vary the maintenance order if your cicumstances change.

HTH

Dodgy

CSA - Ex wants more than a pound of flesh