Child support is a contentious issue that often sparks heated debates. Advocates for abolishing child support argue that it can create an unfair financial burden on non-custodial parents, particularly those who may already be struggling to make ends meet. They believe that the system can sometimes perpetuate inequality and resentment between parents, rather than fostering a cooperative environment for raising children.
On the other hand, proponents of child support highlight its importance in ensuring that children receive the financial support they need for their upbringing. They argue that child support is essential for providing children with a stable environment, covering necessary expenses such as education, healthcare, and basic living costs.
The discussion around child support raises important questions about parental responsibilities, the welfare of children, and the role of the state in mediating family financial matters. It challenges us to consider alternative systems that can better serve families while promoting fairness and accountability among parents.
What would be your solution? I believe the system is corrupt and heavily favors women. I also know that the people working in the system gets bonuses from the number of names that’s fed into the system. This creates an incentive for corruption.
Idk I just know I’m tired of getting treated like garbage and she gets all these fancy new rigs and she’s got her own place I can’t even afford to get my own place because she goes after me for child support I don’t know it just needs to get taken out get rid of it
I’ve always looked at the Child Support system as discriminatory. We offer more than enough ways for women to choose not to be responsible for the life they create, Yet we seem to force men to be responsible for the same burden! Yes, they seem to have a loophole for it, But less than one percent of men are ever granted the motion to Not be responsible for a child! If we wanted to make it fair, they Would be able to walk into court, say They don’t want to be responsible, No questions asked, And walk out! I think if we get rid of Child Support We get rid of the incentive for parents to use children as pawns, if you want help with the child you will need to be cordial With that child’s other parent! It’s easy enough to pass laws stating that their parent is convicted of the crime that may limit or Abolish completely their Visitation rights! But if you’re taking the rights away from that parent, are they financially responsible still?
What if both parents had a mutual “child support bank account” they both could use for the child that has limitations on what can be purchased with the money. Obviously no alcohol, rent or off topic items for just the mother but food, childs cloths, medical stuff ect. The point should be providing for the child not incentivizing divorce.
Sadly & unknown to most, our states (WA Sate for sure) receives funding from The Fed Gov’t when State Support Enforcement manages child support. It is an absolute racket for a state gov’t to profit from a fed gov’t due to the hardships of the citizens.
Great idea. Both parents can see the spending. Another option is for the system to automatically grant 50/50 custody, eliminating custodial/non-custodial roles. I would also encourage all men to file for physical custody instead of allowing women to get away with it. Just my experience but men are usually talked out of not getting custody because of the myth that women are better nurturers and would be better for children.
I agree. And I have a joke. They did a study to see who benefits the most from family/child support court, the mothers or the fathers, and in a twist, it turns out it was the lawyers.
I have been thru this system. The calculations are so much more screwed up and horrible than what people can imagine. Here’s the worst example: Primary custodial mothers can be ordered to pay the deadbeat dad child support, if she makes more income than him. I currently have 65% custody (after he repeatedly took me back to court to cut away from the previous custody agreement we had) and he has stopped working since about 6 years ago. I could be ordered to pay HIM $800-$1000 child support. (Right now, the child support case is closed. He used that threat, as well as the threat of continued litigation abuse, to force me to close the child support case and to agree to a marital separation agreement more favorable to him.)
I’m actually terrified of the idea that he could take me to child support court. He actually acts like he’s doing me a favor for not demanding child support. Again, he is the non-custodial parent, with a history of abuse, and only gained more custody because he repeatedly took me back to family court as a response to me having filed the child support application. He uses these threats to remain close to me, and manipulate, as part of his campaign of coercive control. Here, I put myself through college and got a decent job because I thought that the financial independence would protect me from deadbeats like him. Instead, I feel trapped, and that I don’t have true freedom in my life, and can’t even think about what I “want” because there’s no viable options for me on the table.
From the perspective of the primary caretaker/mother, I listed additional screwed up things about the child support system, on pages 4-6 and 13-14 on this google doc:
Also, as both a child of a deadbeat dad, and a wife of a deadbeat dad (who loves his kids & has regular visitation time), I do agree that the child support agencies should find a more effective way at enforcing the child support. They shouldn’t be revoking driver’s licenses so loosely, or for indefinite periods of time, because that not only prevents him from working, but it also prevents him from picking up his kids. I don’t agree with the threat of jail-time for lack of child support. I’m not sure if child support debt shows on credit reports? But if it does, I oppose that idea as well. It’s just overkill, lazy and I think just makes things worse.
I agree that no parent should be ordered to pay super-high amounts, but I also think that there should be a set minimum amount ordered. If the child support system were simplified, it would save everyone a lot of stress, fighting and legal fees.
I personally suggest that we do away with the concept of parenting time-share percentages, and that there should be a federal set minimum, and a federal cap, on the child support to be ordered, such that a judge can only order something in between that. Allowing calculations of time-share percentages typically just causes anti-child support dads to go into a litigation frenzy, just to change percentage points, even if he has no intention of actually spending more quality parenting time with the child. In addition, for most moms, being the primary caretaker is so deeply tied to our personal identity, that removing that identity from us via 50/50 feels like a threat not just to our identity, but our ability to do our job to effectively mother our children and adequately prepare them for life. Additionally, 50/50 is harmful for young children and babies, because they have a developmental needs for their primary attachment figure, and for routine. Overall, tying child support to time-share percentages compels parents to care more about the percentage, than they do about what the best schedule is for their kids and family overall.
I suggest that one parent is simply marked as the residential parent (to determine the school district, where the child primarily sleeps, who is the primary attachment figure, who makes final child-care/school decisions).
The minimum child support should, perhaps, be the housing portion of the local MBSAC levels that Cash Aid is based on. These levels differ by county and states because of cost-of-living. The maximum child support limit that the recipient should be allowed to receive, perhaps should be the MBSAC level for housing, utilities, food and clothing. The judge could order something in between.
While I wish that child support agencies had more effective collection practices, I would say that if the non-residential parent has financial difficulties paying, then he should be eligible for a pause on the collection efforts. The debt shouldn’t go on credit reports; he shouldn’t go to jail for it; there must be guardrails against the use of revoking his driver’s license.
This google doc has a screen shot of the MBSAC levels for San Diego County, CA, as a reference:
Disagree because we shouldn’t punish the children but I would agree to fines being imposed against her if she is found to be refusing court ordered visits without cause, and in extreme cases, having a police officer there to enforce the agreement. Those fines would cover the expense of the government having to intervene in such cases.
child support to be abolished and be replaced with children’s escrow account to be used for limited child-only related purposes. Nobody should be required to disclosed income to the other parent, but simply asked to contribute to the child’s essential needs. Government should support working families with subsidized childcare for kids up to 12 years old. The government needs to remove itself from the lives of divorced parents. The atrocious waste that spans lawyers, judges, and case workers must end and the money should flow into free childcare. Problem solved.
Child custody should be at default ; 50/50 no child support , and financial obligations outside the homes should be split 50/50. Unless of extreme circumstances where a parent is PROVEN unfit, or willingly gives up their rights.
As of now men are getting raked over the coals and are treated second class when it comes to their children. This must be addressed.
Child support is the most common tool used as a weapon. Parent and child alienation is a very big problem in this country, And parents that choose to alienate their child from the other parent should forfeit all child support owed and charged with child abuse. also After you get so far behind on child support payments they will suspend your driver’s license? That is extremely counterproductive? How can a person get a job and work without transportation?