This information applies to England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

Child maintenance is regular financial support that helps towards a child's everyday living costs for parents who live apart. It is also called child support. The parent who doesn't have main day-to-day care of the child pays child maintenance to the other parent.

If you don't live with your child's other parent, there are different organisations that can help you set up child maintenance.

Child Maintenance Options

Child Maintenance Options is an information and support service providing help to parents who live apart. They can give you information to help you make decisions about child maintenance. They can also give you help and information on other issues you may face when parenting apart.

Child Maintenance Options can help you:

• understand the options for making a child maintenance arrangement, if you don’t already have one
• check if the arrangement you have now is right for you and your child
• estimate how much child maintenance you should pay and receive
• get in touch with other useful organisations that offer specialist advice.

You can find out more about Child Maintenance Options online at: www.cmoptions.org, or you can call them on 0800 988 0988. They are open 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday, and 9am to 4pm on Saturday.

In Northern Ireland you can find out more about Child Maintenance Options by visiting www.nidirect.gov.uk or you can call them on 0800 028 7439.

Child Support Agency

The Child Support Agency (CSA) is one of the options for setting up a child maintenance arrangement, in England, Wales and Scotland.

The CSA uses a standard process to work out how much child maintenance should be paid and when the payments should be made. The CSA may also be asked to collect child maintenance payments or enforce any missed payments. These legal powers can be used if the right amount of money is not paid at the right time.

You can find out more about the CSA on the Directgov website at www.direct.gov.uk. Or you can call them on 0845 713 3133 or Textphone 0845 713 8924. They are open 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday, and 9am to 5pm on Saturday.

In Northern Ireland, you can find information about child maintenance on the Northern Ireland Government's website at:www.nidirect.gov.uk. You can phone the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Division on: 08456 080022.

For more information about financial arrangements at the end of a relationship, see Ending a relationship when you're living together.

For more information about financial arrangements at the end of a marriage, see Ending a marriage.

In England, Wales and Scotland for more information about financial arrangements at the end of a civil partnership, see Ending a civil partnership.