I have settled my divorce in the UK 2 years ago after 18 years of
marriage.  We were separated for 3 years prior to the divorce decree. 
My age is currently 52 years old; my ex is 47 years old.  We have
three sons: 19, 21, 23 years old.

As part of the divorce agreement I am paying maintenance fees to my
ex-wife on a monthly basis and also cover her income taxes (UK+USA). 
The total amount comes to 45% of my salary after tax.

Under the agreement, she will stop receiving my monthly payments in
September 2006.  However, there is a clause whereby I pay her 5
pence/year for life.  The agreement does not state any kind of
judicial review process.

Also as part of divorce settlement I paid off her credit cards, legal
bills and split all our savings & retirement 50/50.  I also currently
pay for our three sons to attend university.  This figure is not
included within the 45% quoted above.

My ex-wife has a bi-lingual teaching degree, but instead opts to work
in a low paying music school so she can play guitar.  Financially, she
is probably better off than me.  She owns no property, and is renting.

In the meantime, I have re-married and continued to run into large
debt (40,000 pounds sterling)as a result of the divorce settlement. We
own one small flat in London. My current wife and I have planned to
have a baby soon.

I would be very interested to hear advice, or experiences, of others
who have divorced in the UK.  I am fairly certain my ex-wife will
apply to the court to continue her maintenance payments at the current
high levels.

Is there a good strategy to follow so I can avoid continued payments,
are there any extenuating circumstances to follow up on, or am I a
cooked goose for rest of my life?

Wow!!! 

Your ex sure has it good!!!

I can't believe laws that allow healthy, non-disabled persons to
continue to sponge off their ex spouses for years and years!!!

Your ex sounds like a lazy user.

I really feel for you :(

Steph53

good analysis, Steph, but alas it happens in US, UK, and Canada all the time.

I consider divorce in the US to be mostly a fraud on the court. Folks
walk in and announce the purpose of the marriage is ended, the legal
talk for divorce in most states, then turn around and ask for
financial support, which is of course one of the purposes of marriage.
 This is fraud and perjury, though it is normal in most states.

Here is my thought on it...  Unless you did some horrible thing during
your marriage, this is total BS.  All of your children from your
previous marriage are at least 18 (I assume that is the legal age in
the UK).  Why are you still having to pay her way in society?  She
obviously knows how to make a living, she is working, has a degree.  I
say ask an attorney what can be done because that is way out of line.