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Shared parenting
If child maintenance is worked out using the current scheme rules, we can reduce the amount of child maintenance the non-resident parent must pay if:
- the child stays overnight with the non-resident parent on average at least one night a week, or 52 nights a year, and
- we use the basic rate or reduced rate to work out the weekly amount of child maintenance.
We call this 'shared care'.
If parents share the care of their child with the other parent, they should let us know the average number of nights the child stays overnight with the non-resident parent as soon as possible. We will use this information to work out the how much child maintenance the non-resident parent must pay.
In the case of shared care, we reduce child maintenance for that child by one-seventh for each night of the week that the child stays with the non-resident parent.
Where parents share the care of their children, we work out a daily amount of child maintenance (usually one-seventh of the weekly amount that the non-resident parent must pay). For example if the non-resident parent must pay child maintenance of £70 a week this works out at a daily amount of £10 (£70 ÷ 7).
We then reduce the weekly amount of child maintenance by this amount for each day the child stays overnight with the non-resident parent.
If the care of a child is shared equally between both parents, we:
- divide the weekly amount of child maintenance by two, and
- reduce the child maintenance again by another £7 a week for every child. The amount of £7 is set down in law.
Child maintenance in basic-rate or reduced-rate cases cannot fall below £5 as a result of the adjustments for shared care.
Flat rate
If child maintenance is set at the flat rate because the non-resident parent is getting a benefit, pension or allowance , shared care for at least 52 nights a year reduces their child maintenance to nothing.
Old scheme cases
If child maintenance is worked out using the old scheme rules, we can reduce the amount of child maintenance the non-resident parent must pay if the child stays overnight with the non-resident parent on average at least two nights a week, or 104 nights a year.
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