Wondering who gets Child Benefit in shared custody cases? As Child Benefit can’t be shared, it can be confusing to couples that have recently separated or divorced and want to understand the state of their finances.
Fortunately, the sensitive and knowledgeable solicitors at Freeman Jones Solicitors have extensive experience helping former couples to come to an amicable agreement regarding child arrangements and the division of their assets, including finances.
Am I entitled to Child Benefit if I have shared custody?
Child Benefit is available to anyone who is responsible for bringing up a child under 16 (or under 20 if they’re in an approved form of education or training). While there’s no limit to how many children you can claim for, only one person can claim this benefit per a particular child.
You cannot make a Child Benefit claim as a couple or both individually as separated parents, and it cannot be split between the parents either. However, if you’re on good terms with the other parent, you can decide between the two of you to share the funds post-payment.
Contacting an experienced family law and divorce solicitor, like Freeman Jones Solicitor, can help you to write this into a financial agreement to help prevent any future disputes.
Who gets Child Benefit in 50/50 custody?
So, who gets Child Benefit in shared custody in the UK? As only one person can receive Child Benefit, the person who signed the claim application form will be the one to receive it.
Generally, the primary caregiver of the children will be the one to apply for and receive child benefit in a shared custody situation. However, the recipient of the Child Benefit may decide to split this money with the other parent if they share 50/50 custody.
For those wanting to receive child benefit with 50/50 custody in the UK, it’s important to have a clear discussion with your former partner, so you can come to a mutual agreement. A solicitor can support you with this through the process of mediation and negotiations.
Receive professional child arrangement legal advice
If you’re struggling to agree on child arrangements after separating or divorcing from your partner, it’s important to seek reliable legal advice as early as possible.
The experienced and compassionate family law team at Freeman Jones Solicitors can help you to navigate a wide range of family law and child arrangement issues with ease. To help avoid unnecessary expense and stress, our professional team try to resolve issues through mediation first.
This can make the whole process of making those important child care and residency decisions smoother and easier for all parties – including the children at the heart of these relationship breakdowns.
Alongside supporting you through mediation, we can also help with the drafting and formalisation of any child arrangement agreements, and, if necessary, provide legal representation for court proceedings.
If you’d like to learn more about our child custody legal services, please don’t hesitate to contact our understanding and knowledgeable solicitors today.
To discuss your legal requirements with a member of our team, simply give us a call on 01244 506 444. We also welcome email enquiries sent to info@fjsolicitors.co.uk and those sent in using our online contact form.
Once our expert legal team receive your enquiry, we’ll arrange your free, no-obligation, 20-minute consultation to learn more about how we can help.
