RUGBY Offices

Private Client Department, Address: 16 Church Street, RUGBY, CV21 3PW, Telephone: + 44 (0) 1788 579 579, Fax: +44 (0) 1788 570 949

Conveyancing Department, Address: 26 Regent Street, RUGBY, CV21 2PS, Telephone: + 44 (0) 1788 551 611, Fax: + 44 (0) 1788 551 597

Commercial/ Wills, Trusts & Probate Departments, Address: The Robbins Building, 25 Albert Street, RUGBY, CV21 2SD, Telephone: + 44 (0) 1788 579 579, Fax: + 44 (0) 1788 552 888

LONDON Offices

2nd Floor Berkeley Square House, Berkeley Square, London, W1J 6BD, Telephone enquiries: +44 (0) 2078876590, Fax number: +44 (0) 207 8876001

BANBURY Offices

Strathmore House, Waterperry Court, Middleton Road, BANBURY, OX16 4QD, General Telephone enquires: + 44 (0) 1295 270999

The Difficulty with Private Maintenance Agreements

A YouGov survey has revealed that separating parents are not fully aware of the options available to them when it comes to maintenance payments – as a result, many children could be missing out.

Many parents were unaware that they do not need to involve third parties and that they could in fact make private arrangements between themselves rather than involving the Child Support Agency (CSA) or the courts.  As many as a quarter of parents polled did not realise that since October 2008 they have been able to bypass the CSA and the courts and enter into a private agreement regarding the payment of maintenance.

YouGov has published its findings to mark the launch of a national campaign that aims to provide free information and support to separating parents on the most appropriate child maintenance arrangements to suit their circumstances.

Added to this, the survey highlighted the fact that there is a reluctance to instruct lawyers or the CSA.  29% of those polled stated that they would prefer not to involve lawyers and 31% did not want to involve the CSA.

‘Child Maintenance Options is here to provide the facts and explain the different types of arrangements everyone can now make’ says Janet Paraskeva the Chair of Child Maintenance Options. 

It is anticipated the Child Maintenance Options will provide sound and impartial advice to the estimated 300,000 couples with children that separate every year.


The level of service is unsurpassed. The website is a model. The services provided range from simple online divorces through a user-friendly interface at competitive cost to complex high value ancillary relief matters. The firm's staff are all warm, welcoming, helpful and knowledgeable. The lawyers are friendly and approachable, fully up-to-date, and demonstrate an ability to communicate their expertise and advise in plain English. They intelligently seek solutions, and do everything possible to avoid conflict and minimise costs exposure for clients. Their response times are excellent, and the standard of correspondence and other written work the highest. They enjoy excellent relationships with professional colleagues and select the best and most appropriate experts.