Legal Articles by Court Help Limited

What does child maintenance cover at Christmas? How CMS payments work, why presents and extras aren't included, and how parents can agree extra costs.

Since 26 February 2024, it has been free to apply to the Child Maintenance Service in England, Wales and Scotland. The old £20 application fee was scrapped; Collect and Pay fees still apply.

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is the government’s statutory child maintenance service for calculating, collecting and paying out child maintenance payments.

The shared custody order is an order under the Child Act wherein it is ordered that the child lives with both the parents for a defined time

Last updated: 19 October 2026 · Written by the family law paralegal team at Court Help Limited In short: The only way to correct a birth registration to remove a man's details is to show he isn't the child's biological father. You need evidence such as an approved DNA test or a court order, statutory declarations from two people, and a £99 fee for the General Register Office. If he is the father, his name stays, though the court can restrict his parental responsibility. Key f

Schedule 1 provides financial assistance for the benefit of the child from unmarried parents or cohabitants.

How the child maintenance tribunal works: mandatory reconsideration, form SSCS2, deadlines, and what happens at the hearing.

What rights do Fathers have to see their child? Fathers have rights. Full Stop. Though termed as Parental Responsibility in the law, Fathers

The above titled quote, I hear repeatedly from parents, having problems with the maintenance service, ‘CMS’, whether the parent in...