Do I need to pay child maintenance if my partner and I are separating but still sharing childcare?
My partner and I are separating and we have a 13-month-old child together.
I currently earn around €60k gross per year. My partner is currently working but is due to leave her job in about two weeks. She expects to receive around €50k in redundancy, and will then be receiving social welfare/Jobseeker’s and Child Benefit.
Our child currently lives with both of us in my partner’s house, and I am actively involved in his day-to-day care. I feed him, put him to bed, mind him, take him to appointments/creche, etc.
We are now separating and I will be moving out. Initially I will be renting a room/shared accommodation, so I won’t have suitable accommodation for overnight stays with my son. His mother has said that on the days I am looking after him, I can stay at the family home and mind him there.
I want to continue having regular contact with him and contributing financially to all of his needs.
My question is: given the situation today, would I normally be expected to pay a fixed weekly child maintenance amount to the mother, or can we simply agree between ourselves that I will directly cover/pay towards our child’s expenses (creche, clothes, food, medical expenses, etc.)?
There is currently no court order and no formal maintenance agreement between us.
I’m also in the process of buying my own home, and I’m concerned that a formal maintenance obligation could affect my mortgage borrowing capacity. I’m not trying to avoid supporting my child — I want to support him properly while keeping the arrangement practical for both parents.
Has anyone in Ireland been in a similar situation? What happens in practice if both parents agree on the child’s expenses without going to court?