Child Maintenance Solicitors | Child Support Lawyer | Howells
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Child Maintenance Solicitors

Child Maintenance Solicitors based in Sheffield, Barnsley, Rotherham delivering advice in London and Nationwide

If you are divorcing or separating, it’s natural to worry about your children’s future and financial security. Our child maintenance solicitors can help you work out how much child support should be paid, whether by you or your ex-partner. We also advise on creating, changing, or enforcing child maintenance agreements, including when payments have stopped.

 

Our expert child maintenance solicitors, accredited by  Resolution and the Law Society, provide specialist family law services for married and unmarried couples. We handle all aspects of divorce, child custody, child support, and divorce financial settlements. Whether you need advice on arranging or enforcing child maintenance payments, our experienced family law solicitors are here to help.

 

Our child maintenance solicitors offer a free 30-minute initial consultation for new clients, available by phone, video call, or in person. We provide affordable legal advice on child support and family law matters, without compromising on the quality of service.

 

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Child Maintenance Solicitors – Expert Legal Advice in Sheffield, Barnsley, Rotherham, London & Across the UK

Child maintenance is handled separately from divorce or separation proceedings, but it is still essential to have clear arrangements in place for your children’s financial support. While the court will want to know that suitable child support plans exist, it no longer has the power to order payments.

Parents must now arrange child maintenance themselves, either through mutual agreement or by applying to the Child Maintenance Service. Our child maintenance solicitors can:

  • Give advice on your rights and responsibilities
  • Help you calculate how much child maintenance should be paid
  • Give advice on making a family-based arrangement
  • Give advice when changing the terms of any family-based arrangement in place
  • Help if child maintenance payments have stopped

Our child maintenance solicitors can advise you on your legal rights and responsibilities, help calculate how much child support should be paid, and guide you in setting up a family-based arrangement.

We also provide expert advice on changing the terms of an existing agreement and offer support if child maintenance payments have stopped, ensuring your children’s financial needs are met.

Affordable Divorce & Separation Solicitors – Fixed Fees and Expert Advice

Our affordable divorce and separation solicitors make the process straightforward and cost-effective. Whether you’re considering a separation or applying for a divorce, we offer expert legal advice through fixed-fee divorce packages and competitive hourly rates. Our experienced family law solicitors provide the guidance, support, and representation you need to resolve matters quickly and at a price you can afford.

Our promise to you:

No Surprises – At the start of your case, we will provide a clear, written estimate of costs and keep you regularly updated, so you always know your position.

Clear Communication – We avoid legal jargon. We take the time to understand your situation and explain everything in plain language, so you feel confident at every stage.

Minimising Stress – We know the breakdown of a relationship is one of life’s most challenging experiences. Our goal is to achieve the best possible outcome for you and your family with minimal distress. Wherever possible, we seek amicable solutions, but we will always prioritise your best interests and fight for the result you deserve.

Fair & Transparent Pricing – We work hard to keep costs down. Our fixed fees and transparent pricing mean you know exactly what your legal work will cost, and our hourly rates are among the most competitive in England and Wales.

Free Legal Consultation

Our family law team offer a free legal consultation to new clients. You can book an appointment by telephone, video call or in person.

Contact us or call us on 0114 2235 807 to book your free consultation today.

What is Child Maintenance in the UK?

Child maintenance, also known as child support, is money paid by one parent to help cover a child’s living costs when they no longer live together. Under UK law, both parents are legally responsible for their children’s financial needs.

How Long Do Child Maintenance Payments Last?

Payments usually continue until the child turns 16, or up to 20 if they remain in full-time education or approved training.

How is Child Maintenance Calculated?

The amount is based on factors such as:

  • The non-resident parent’s income

  • The number of children they are responsible for

  • The child’s living arrangements

How Can Child Maintenance Be Arranged?

Parents can agree on payments privately or use the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) to calculate and collect payments.

What Does Child Maintenance Cover?

Child maintenance (or child support) is designed to cover a child’s essential living costs, including:

  • Food and groceries

  • Clothing and shoes

  • Housing costs, such as rent, utilities, or household bills

In some cases, parents may agree for child maintenance to include additional expenses, such as:

  • Childcare costs (nursery fees, after-school care)

  • School-related expenses (uniforms, books, extracurricular activities, tuition fees)

  • Medical or healthcare costs not covered by the NHS

 

How Can Child Maintenance be Paid?

Parents can pay child maintenance in two ways – directly between themselves through a family-based arrangement or through the CMS.

Family-based arrangement – Parents can agree on a private arrangement for child maintenance, where the non-resident parent pays the agreed amount directly to the parent with main care. This is usually the cheapest and quickest way to agree child maintenance.

Child Maintenance Service (CMS) – a government scheme that calculates the maintenance payment for you and can deal with the payments.

 

What is a Family-Based Arrangement?

A family-based arrangement is a private agreement between parents on how child maintenance will be paid, without involving the Child Maintenance Service (CMS). These arrangements can cover payment amounts, frequency, and what the money should be used for.

Because family-based arrangements are not legally binding, they rely on both parents maintaining good communication and cooperation. They offer flexibility but provide less legal protection if one parent stops making payments.

It’s recommended to seek advice from an experienced child maintenance solicitor before setting up a family-based arrangement. A solicitor can explain your rights, responsibilities, and options if the arrangement breaks down.

The Role of the Child Maintenance Service (CMS)

Sometimes parents cannot reach a family-based arrangement regarding child maintenance. The CMS can arrange maintenance for you if you haven’t been able to agree maintenance with your ex-partner.

However, it’s best if you can arrange maintenance directly with the paying parent. The process can be time consuming, and payments could be delayed. There are also costs associated with using their collect and pay service.

Our Child Maintenance Solicitors

Our child maintenance solicitors represent clients in:

Our Family Law Team

Our family law solicitors represent clients in:

Sheffield

Barnsley

Rotherham

South Yorkshire, including Doncaster and the Peak District

– Elsewhere in Yorkshire, including Leeds, Whitby, Castleford, York and Skipton

Derbyshire, including ChesterfieldCastleton and Derby

London and surrounding areas

Nottingham, Mansfield, Worksop and surrounding areas in Nottinghamshire

– Other areas in the north of England, including Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Bradford, Bolton and Middlesbrough

– The midlands, including Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Grantham, Stoke on Trent, LincolnPeterborough Stafford and Leicester

– The south of England, including CornwallDorset, Oxford, Gloucestershire, Chichester, Buckinghamshire, Kent, Bournemouth, Exeter, Milton Keys, Cheltenham, Bath, Plymouth and Ipswich

Cheshire

– Nationwide (throughout England)

The team also offer a free 30-minute consultation on your first visit, which can be made face-to-face, on the phone or virtually.

Contact us or call us on 0114 2235 807 to book your free appointment today.

Why Choose Howells Solicitors

The Howells divorce solicitors are some of the best in the country and one of the largest in the north of England. They been consistently highly ranked for family law work in the north by the Legal 500. Howells have over 40 years’ experience supporting families and are ranked high on Review Solicitors where they have a rating of 4.9 out of 5 for their client care. The team are also accredited by Resolution and the Law Society.

The divorce team at Howells are often praised by clients for their honesty, compassion, and down to earth approach with their clients, and are excellent at their client care making the process of your case less stressful.

The team offer flexible appointments to suit your availability and are transparent with their fees, offering affordable services without compromising on quality. You can make an appointment face-to-face, on the phone or by video.

Contact us or call us on 0114 2235 807 to book your free appointment today.

 

Child Maintenance Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if the parent with main care remarries or has a new partner?

If the parent who has main care of the child remarries or lives with a new partner, this does not change child maintenance obligations. A new partner has no legal responsibility to pay child maintenance. Only the child’s biological or adoptive parents are legally required to provide financial support.

Does child maintenance cover nursery fees?

Child maintenance is intended to cover a child’s basic living costs, such as food, clothing, and housing—not nursery or school fees. Parents can agree privately to include nursery costs in their arrangement, without involving the Child Maintenance Service (CMS). A child maintenance solicitor can help you set up a legally sound family-based agreement.

Does child maintenance cover school uniform?

The Child Maintenance Service does not specify exactly what child maintenance must cover—it simply calculates a payment to contribute to a child’s essential needs, including clothing. The parent with care can request extra help for costs like school uniforms, books, or trips, but the paying parent is not legally obliged to agree unless this is part of a private arrangement.

What is the difference between spousal maintenance and child maintenance?

Spousal maintenance and child maintenance are two separate payments. Spousal maintenance is paid by one spouse to the other after divorce, but only when one partner cannot financially support themselves. It is not statutory and depends on the divorce settlement. Child maintenance, however, is a statutory obligation for both parents to financially support their children.

Can you deal with maintenance and custody together?

No, child custody is dealt with separately to child maintenance. However, a divorce solicitor can support you with both matters.

What is classed as full-time education for child maintenance?

For child maintenance purposes, full-time education means more than 12 hours a week of supervised study or course-related work experience. This can include A Levels or equivalent qualifications. Payments usually continue until the child finishes this education or turns 20, whichever comes first.

Free Legal Consultation

Our family law team offer a free legal consultation to new clients. You can book an appointment by telephone, video call or in person You can book a consultation to have by telephone, video call or in person, at a time that suits your needs. Contact us or call us on 0114 2235 807 to book your free consultation today.

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How can we help? Contact us today

Contact us on 0114 2235 807 and one of our advisors will be in touch to discuss your situation. We will take some initial information and if we can help, we will book you in for a consultation with a legal professional.

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The Howells Solicitors law team are compassionate, down-to-earth and professional, offering you the best expert advice. Get in touch with solicitors in Sheffield, Rotherham, and Barnsley to see how we can help. Fill in the form or give us a call at:

Solicitors for Child Maintenance

The Howells family law solicitors are one of the largest family law teams in the region, probably the UK. they specialise in a wide range of family law services, including divorcefinancial settlementschild custody arrangementscollaborative law, care proceedings, adoption, guardianship, child abduction and domestic abuse, to name a few areas.

 

The family team have an exceptional reputation for dealing with a vast range of cases, from high-net-worth finances to complex cases involving children. The team also have extensive experience of representing clients at court, including parents, grandparents, guardians, and children.

 

The team covers the entirety of South Yorkshire and the UK, with offices in Sheffield, Barnsley, and Rotherham. However they also regularly take instruction from clients from across the UK, including regular instruction from clients in London and the surrounding areas.

 

The team rank number 2 in Sheffield, and number 1 in Rotherham and Barnsley on Review Solicitors with an average ranking of 4.9 out of 5 stars in reviews received and 99% of former clients confirm they would recommend the firm, which is a testament to the quality of advice they provide and their exceptional client care. The team are often praised for their professionalism, compassion, empathy, and kindness.

 

The team are supervised by our family law solicitor and director John Clegg. John is a family law specialist and covers all aspects of family law including divorce, civil partnership and cohabitation breakdown, financial matters arising on separation and divorce, pre and post-nuptial agreements and protection from domestic abuse. John is also accredited as one of the top solicitors in the UK by the prestigious Chambers and Partners.

 

The matrimonial team are supervised by senior divorce solicitor and director Sharon Lockwood, who is a highly regarded in Rotherham and the rest of South Yorkshire. Sharon is a specialist in complex cases involving children and high value assets. Sharon is also very active in the local community of South Yorkshire and receives a high amount of praise from her clients and colleagues and has established herself as one of the most distinguish divorce specialists in the region.

Client Feedback

The team rank number 2 in Sheffield, and number 1 in Rotherham and Barnsley on Review Solicitors with an average ranking of 4.9 out of 5 stars in reviews received and 99% of former clients confirm they would recommend the firm, which is a testament to the quality of advice they provide and their exceptional client care. The team are often praised for their professionalism, compassion, empathy, and kindness.

“Thank you so much for all you have done. I cannot speak highly enough of you & everyone I have met at Howells. I have already recommended Howells & yourself to the specialist teams I am now in contact with & will continue to do so.”

“Many thanks again for your invaluable help, advice and your calm, approachable manner. It is very much appreciated!”

“Howells provided a great service and worked quickly and efficiently to get the job completed to try to keep my costs down too. I would recommend Sharon and the team.”

“Excellent service with prompt response time.”

“I used Sharon Lockwood in my extremely messy and prolonged divorce case, and I cannot thank her enough. She was kind and caring at times when I was very distressed and at the same time both efficient and professional.”

“Sharon was exceptional from our first telephone call and throughout this process. Professional, supportive, knowledgeable, and very clear.”

“Sharon has been a rock she explains everything every step of the way she has gotten me through a very tough year, and I will be for ever grateful to her.”

“I chose to sort my divorce and financial settlement with Sharon Lockwood at Howells solicitors after seeing other reviews. I was not disappointed in any way, shape, or form. She is very professional and quick off the ball. I would highly recommend Sharon and her colleagues at Howells for a fast and very efficient service and would use again if needed.”

Legal 500 Ranking

2018 – Tier 3 – “The Howells family team works across Sheffield, Rotherham and Barnsley, with Alyson Siddall focusing on high-value financial work, and co-leading the team alongside Sharon Lockwood, whose expertise lies in matters involving tax elements and inherited assets, and John Clegg, who brings extensive experience regarding complex cases involving children. The team undertakes a wide range of family work, with notable expertise in working on complex domestic abuse and care cases.”

2021 – Tier 2 – “Howells fields a substantial family team, which also features eight Children Panel members and five Resolution accredited panel members. Practice head Alyson Siddall is a key name for high-value financial work, advising clients in high-net-worth cases involving significant assets and pensions. John Clegg is particularly well known and respected for children and finance work. He is one of a handful of solicitors in the city who still does finance legal aid work.”

2022 – Tier 1 Ranking – “The team are particularly well known for high-net-worth cases. In addition, the practice has a strong regional reputation.”

2023 – Tier 2 Ranking – “The team undertakes a wide range of family work, with notable expertise in working on complex domestic abuse and care cases.”

Professional Feedback

“A go to for complex children matters. Is thorough and deals with cases with a level of detail and knowledge that are truly impressive.  Has the detail of every aspect of the case at her fingertips. She is also sensitive and compassionate in her approach to clients, but quite capable of delivering difficult and realistic advice.”

“Sharon Lockwood is dedicated to seeking very practical solutions to financial cases. Tenacious but also very realistic at the same time”

“Alyson Siddall is a pleasure to deal with and is very knowledgeable and competent. She also has a very calm manner, which I am sure is appreciated by clients and other professionals alike.”

“An effective and tenacious advocate known for his thorough, sensible and constructive approach. Has a wealth of knowledge and experience in all areas of financial and children cases and the safest pair of hands no matter how difficult the case.”

“Excellent Collaborative lawyer and a leading family solicitor in Sheffield. Experienced, dedicated and knowledgeable.”

“Thorough in preparation, experienced, excellent with clients, willing to go above and beyond and a strong presence in the courtroom.”

John Clegg

Family Law

0114 249 6795
Sharon Lockwood

Family Law

01709 364000
Wendy Bailey

Family Law

01226 805 190
Colin Musgrave

Family Law

0114 249 6709
Louise Ellis

Family Law

01709 364 000
Danielle Mahyar

Family Law

01226 805 190
Laura Hill

Family Law

0114 249 6638
Caroline Euinton

Family Law

0114 249 6643
Ramandeep Kaur

Family Law

0114 249 6703
Michaela Logue

Family Law

0114 2496666
Cody Minshall

Family Law

0114 249 6656
Ben Thompson

Family Law

0114 2496666
Alexandria Broadley

Family Law

0114 2496 640