Payment of Child Maintenance to Joint Bank Account

I have been paying a weekly child maintenance to my ex-wife into a joint bank account that we had designated for our child. We have a Decree Nisi and have yet to mediate on our finances. Following some recent email tennis, I am concerned or anxious that perhaps I should not be paying the weekly sum into a joint account.

I have not withdrawn money from this account in 14months now and up unitl a couple of months ago, the child benefit was also paid into this account but it appears that my ex has diverted this to another account. My ex-wife has made the occasional withdrawl form this account, but generaly she is letting the funds build up.

Am I right to be concerned? Will she try to claim that I have not been paying her maintenance because it has been going into a joint account? I plan to start monthly payments shortly and considering paying this directly into her bank account, would you advise this? Thoughts welcome! Thanks in advance.

Your right to be concerned that she may remove all the fund, max the overdraft And you’ll be jointly liable for it.

Never have a joint account with an ex

'Never have a joint account with an ex'

I tried to have my name removed from the joint account shortly after she filed for divorce but she was advised by her solicitor not to sign the forms.

Thanks for your response.

Take all the money out, tell the bank you cant support an overdraft on this account (if there is a facility) and carry on, if there's a problem with maintenance, pay the money into a single name account in her name.

It wont matter what happens to an account with £1.00 in!

Tell the bank to put the account into dispute. That will freeze it and prevent either of you using it.

Thanks WYSPECIAL, I did not know that was possible. It is a high conflict divorce and I have to pick my battles. But I think freezing the account is a fair and reasonable course of action until we resolve our finances.