Are child maintenance and contact to a child connected?

The issues of child maintenance and contact to a child are legally separate issues in England and Wales, and are not directly connected. Not seeing your child does not remove the requirement to pay maintenance. Conversely, the non-payment of child maintenance should not allow contact to be withheld or denied.

If a parent wants to see their child, they must make separate arrangements with the other parent or if contact is being denied, they must apply to the Court for a Child Arrangements Order. If the child spends a significant amount of time with the paying parent, this can reduce the amount paid to reflect the costs incurred during those stays.