When the noncustodial parent willingly dodges payment of their court ordered child and medical support, the punishment for such acts needs to be aggressively punished. This affects everyone in the family, clear down to the taxpayers who fund assistance programs. Revoking drivers licenses doesn’t help because they drive anyway. And doing that only enables them not to go to work. If they don’t care to pay their child support they don’t care if they’re caught driving illegally, which is commonly a slap on the wrist. One should not be allowed to walk away from an entire family because they no longer want to be a responsible parent. Working for cash jobs under the table should also be criminalized to the full extent of the law for every law broken (tax evasion) and employers who are caught engaging in such hiring practices should be forced to pay double in taxes. Perhaps halfway houses for these types of individuals to learn how to be responsible for their bills and held accountable for where their money goes is a good place for them to start. Apparently if a person goes to prison and owes child support, there is a freeze on that child support for the amount of time they’re incarceration is for. How does that aid in the future of the children these adults created? It doesn’t.
The welfare system is not set up for people to succeed. It is set to up to keep you dependent on it.
While I share your sentiments against deadbeat dads, I just feel that certain penalties would just make things worse. I’m just going to share my top thoughts/ideas on this issue:
I have been thru this system. The calculations are so screwed up, and I have another 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:
Well half way house isn’t the answer let me tell you why. Well that would be dictatorship in some form I feel. Because it would infringe on their human rights. Are they right not paying yes but I think jail didn’t work loosing their license don’t work either, this won’t as well. And none of these even your idea won’t either.
Sadly you can’t force someone to be a parent even financially. So I think maybe the government can have a better solution to this issue. I say maybe have it taken from them directly. I know they tried taken from the employer paid to the state. But maybe they can come up with another way.! Or give them a choice pay or give up your rights to said child or children. Does that solve getting support no but they will either support said child or children or loose your rights to said child and or children. The states nose into the unpaid child support take a percentage of said child support paid the child looses out on. Wrong all together. And actually there maybe no solution to this. But I think the government can one figure out a better idea for this issue .and I feel it’s something that should be addressed because I know where your coming from I was also a single parent and soul provider.
I feel child support agency uses gross over step of abuse of power. Using extremes like revoking drivers license, for back child support. The term dead beat dads may apply for a few not all our, I use this as example how do you expect him or her to pay when you revoke drivers license making it even harder to pay if can’t get back and forth to work. Sounds like the author of this is quite jaded, and mad at the world. Keep this in mind I feel women or men receiving child support be made to show transparency of where they spend the money. I remember one case were a father was taking child support and mother spending it on her boyfriend while he ate steak the little boy ate pot pie. That doesn’t go down well with me you see that little boy was my son. One state out west has already proved that child support is unconstitutional by the supreme Court level Go argue with the supreme Court on this case. I thought it to be offensive I found it to be petty to want to punish him even more if they can’t afford to pay Grant I get it few people are dead beats to avoids it but many of them are not both men and women deserve a break. Enjoy your day
Yes let’s talk about transparency on where the money goes cause I promise you the money he does have is not coming to any of our four children or the seven he is now up to. He just sold his vehicle for $3,500. That’s not going to be filed on his tax returns and not a penny of it came to his kids. He works for cash under the table, and I promise you that’s not coming to any of the kids, either. As part of being on state run programs, you have to account for where you spend the money you get and send in bills. I’m 100% on board with that. Throw in drug testing too! On both the parents. The accountability for non payment is laughable and if that makes me “jaded and mad at the world” I think perhaps that’s you. But yes, I am mad. I’m mad because I’m raising four children without his financial support at all. That means they miss out on a lot of things and opportunities simply because I can’t afford to do it on my own. By the way, I never said the term deadbeat dad. I’m fully aware this goes both ways. The fact that non payment is so easily accepted and people just turn the cheek is sickening. And every single person should be as mad as I am. Because how much money a year in state help do you think tax payers shell out to help support any of his 7 kids? Just his alone? Meanwhile he doesn’t (cause he’s not forced to) pay literally anything.
If being forced to work a job that meets the standard of financial obligations you have, having your bills paid for you, and being dictated to do so looks like a dictatorship, perhaps that’s exactly what these types of people need. Because choosing not to provide for the children you create is unacceptable.
I feel for your case I realize some people are like that where they dodge their responsibilities but to ask for a law to punish everyone is totally wrong if you buys you too close to this they should be a little bit more of neutrality in your part calm down think about it and write a different ball or a proposal for one cuz you are a very angry as far as I’m concerned no I’m not angry whatsoever I’ve enlighten I’m very happy about my life I don’t get depressed anymore I live a calm so many obstacles like cancer right now working right now I am just trying to be me I’m suffering from blindness and he stayed my vision gets worse but it is not upset about it no I cannot stress over things I have no control over That’s just the way I am it’s always the way I’ve been enlightenment is what I am. It’s hard if you’re a single mother raising children I get that and I do not understand my sympathize with that and yes there should be certain laws but I also know that child support bureau goes beyond above the law and they go by that by abusing the powers they have the abusive and yes they’re starting to become more unconstitutionalized It’s their own undoing it’s their own mistake for acting like that there that they’re going to cost houses for priority be no longer existence across a certain people and their actions. Sorry for any grammar mistakes I just woke up and I seen this
This is what happens when I use speak and say, so I will pray for you to find resolve.
Having an ex that refuses to get a job that pays on the books, or even file taxes just to avoid paying any form of child support should be a felony. The willful disregard for responsibility is awful. The actual dollar amount is insignificant in comparison to the importance of making an effort to handle their responsibilities of helping take care/provide for their own children.
I think this is written by a woman. child support is already taken on by the feds which it shouldnt be. they garnish taxes and also put interest on unpaid child support. I think there should be another way to help families through this without having female toxicity wreck a mans life while she hangs out on the couch making more babies.
I know of a millionaire (social media influencer couple) who hides money to avoid paying the fair amount of child support. The business is one person’s name and they provide the spouse a w-2 for minimum wage income, therefore the child support is figured on minimum wage vs the actual amount of money their joint online business makes! How can this be tracked and the parent pay what is legally required? Isn’t hiding the money illegal?