Christopher represented a Mother in a case where the Father was a high earner, meaning that the top-up provisions under the Children Act Schedule 1 were engaged.
There had been a separation agreement whereby the Father paid substantial maintenance and provided a home for the Mother and child. However, due to the Father’s controlling behaviour Chris’s client had moved out of the home he provided, and as a consequence she needed an increase in maintenance to cover housing costs.
The Father had numerous companies and several properties, with enormously complex business interests – some of his companies being part owners of others. It appeared that he had been moving money between businesses and not taking dividends in order to give the impression of a low income and minimise his exposure to child support.
With Chris’s support, the Mother successfully applied for a Legal Services Payment Order (LSPO) at an early stage in proceedings. Matters were then settled at the Financial Dispute Resolution Appointment, resulting in Chris’s client receiving a lump sum to cover the child’s immediate needs and child support substantially higher than she would have obtained under the Child Support Act
