Hi can anyone help me please? i split with my wife 2 months ago and we have not yet filed for divorce, we have daughter who i pay maintenance to each month, but my wife is asking for more money to pay for her bills and food for her. does she have a right?

She can ask for more but it does not mean she will get it. The courts will take both of your financial statements..which includes income and expenses. If she wants help with bills, that would mean asking for alimony. She can not request more child support for her monthly bills. She can ask for more child support but would have to prove the expenses she pays out for the child. You should get yourself a lawyer. It is worth the expense in the long run. Child support is for the care of the child but includes rent, electric, food, medical, clothes, education, transportation and a childs entertainment.

Yes, but you can fight it.

First, you need to know that the child support guidelines are not set in stone. They are just guidelines. You can make a case for not paying so much.

1988 Public Law Record
SEC. 103. STATE GUIDELINES FOR CHILD SUPPORT AWARD AMOUNTS.
(A)(a) GUIDELINES TO CREATE REBUTTABLE PRESUMPTION.-Section 467(b)
of the Social Security Act is amended-
(1) by inserting (1) after (b):
(2) by striking, "but need not be binding upon such judges or other officials;" and
(3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
(4) "There shall be a REBUTTABLE presumption, in any judicial or administrative proceeding for the award of child support, that the amount of the award which would result from the application of such guidelines is the correct amount of child support to be awarded. A written finding or specific finding on the record that the application of the guidelines would be unjust or inappropriate in a particular case, as determined under criteria established the State, shall be sufficient to rebut the presumption is that case."

NEVER pay your child support directly to the mother as it can be considered a gift and not support. Always pay threw the court.

If you want to learn how to do all this go to Dads House in Yahoo Groups. When you join, you’ll receive a link to an educational manual that will teach you what you need to know. Take the time to learn what you can and should do.

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/DadsHouse/
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=27395259

I would think alot has to do with how old your daughter is? Your wife may not be able to get a job to be self supportive right away, and also, where you may have been established in the working world, your wife might have been a stay at home mom and will need time to learn a trade, and get started.

Yes she can request it, but she may not get it. It sounds as if you are working things on privately without the courts, meaning you are not paying actual child support, but rather a prearranged agreement.

If I'm mistaken than please correct me, but if you do refuse to pay more than she may go to court and actually get a court order, in which the court will take your earnings and give your wife a set amount. Be advised that this can go up to 50% of your total income, so you may wish to give in to her if it is actually for the kid and not to finance her personal wishes.

However if she is already asking for close to this amount, you may want to go to court. You have really nothing to lose (unless she files for divorce, which it sounds like she is close to doing) except access to your child, which it sounds like has already been cut off.