I will begin this post by stating that I am not particularly fond of child support. No, this does not imply that I do not understand the necessity; nonetheless, I believe it is unjust to the individual paying for it.
It’s not fair when the recipient is free to spend the money on whatever he or she wants (and is never asked to provide an accounting of how it was spent), is exempt from paying taxes on it, doesn’t have to count it when determining eligibility for government benefits like Medicaid or food stamps, and can use it to improve their credit score.
When I started making payments toward child support, it had only been a couple of months since my ex-wife, and I finalized our divorce and began our custody battle for the kids. When dividing parental responsibilities with my ex-wife, I was already disadvantaged because I could not afford a lawyer (she borrowed money from her relatives to afford one). We lived in the same city, so there was no reason an every-other-week schedule couldn’t have worked; however, I was denied this arrangement because I worked and she didn’t, and it was seen as crucial for her to stay at home with the children. Only every other weekend, an entire week during the summer for vacation, and a holiday schedule was the permitted custody of my children I was given.
A little over a month after that, I saw the first deduction for child support taken out of my paycheck. Keeping in mind that it has been three months since my ex-wife and I split up, this is where I discovered that I am three months behind on child support. This indicates that I was expected to pay additional money on top of what I was already obligated to pay, even though there was no agreement directing how child custody should be handled. Although I had anticipated a paycheck of around $700, after child support, my total was only $140. Keep in mind that this was over 15 years ago.
For the first couple of years, I struggled with homelessness or living in uncomfortable settings like staying in a friend’s attic due to the low pay. Not only did it damage my capacity to afford a comfortable lifestyle, but it also made it impossible to predict what I would eat each day. And people wonder why I feel like a man-hating feminazi set up child support; nevertheless, this nutjob must also hate children because it was a great challenge to make sure that my children were well taken care of in my presence.
I could not qualify for assistance programs like Food Stamps because “I made too much money.” This was the case since the amount of child support I paid did not have any bearing on the income I was required to declare. I made $7.50 an hour, yet I was required to pay child support in the amount of $840 each month. How does anyone survive on that? Calculate this: (7.50*40*2) = $600 for a two-week paycheck before taxes, and they deducted 420$ after taxes. I was fortunate enough to receive commissions, but, because I provided more technical support for the clients, the commissions I received ranged, on average, from fifty to two hundred dollars per paycheck. My first paycheck, from which child support was deducted, was approximately $140 after deductions.
They calculated my child support obligation based on my expected income rather than my actual income, and I had to pay back some arrears. I stopped working two jobs so that I could spend more time with my children, but since they expected me to keep working the second job, I had to pay based on their assumption that I was still working it. This is a regrettable situation because it forced me to pay for something I no longer do.
Finding a position that paid roughly as much as I would have made with the two jobs did improve my situation, but it still seemed like I had to resort to extreme measures, like altering the percentage of my salary that is withheld for taxes, to get by (although It made sure that I had to use my bonus paycheck to pay for the taxes at the end of the year). When I worked for a major mobile phone company providing customer service and then technical work, it was a bittersweet experience. I didn’t feel like I was making the money I needed to make until I shifted to doing the kind of job I do now. Because of the nature of my current employment, I was forced to work virtually constantly throughout the summer to save enough money to make it through the winter. This made me almost unavailable for the children in the summer since I switched to my current position.
I am overjoyed that I will soon be released from my obligation to pay child support. If all goes according to plan, I will soon be able to purchase a vehicle for myself, something I have not been able to do for many years due to financial constraints. It’s outrageous that I have to pay $725 a month for one child. I believe that they charged me that since I paid slightly more with two children, you can still afford it now if you could afford it before. When this is finally over, I believe I will have an overwhelming sense of wealth.
These are some problems associated with child support:
- I am responsible for paying taxes on the income she receives.
- She is not obligated to declare the money as income; she can choose to do so if she desires.
- She does not pay any taxes on the money given to her.
- Instead of considering my actual earnings, the amount I paid was calculated using my anticipated income based on what the government claims I am capable of earning.
- If you do not pay, you face the possibility of incarceration.
- If you are behind on your child support payments, you risk having your driver’s license suspended.
- You may be prevented from traveling to another country.
- You are not allowed to question how the money is spent due to privacy laws.
Child support is a system designed to ensure that children receive the financial support they require from both parents, regardless of the status of the parent’s relationship; on the other hand, many argue that the child support system is unfair to the person who is paying for the support.
The question now is, how can we adjust this situation to be more equitable? We should start by calculating the actual cost of raising a child. And I do not mean superficially based on spoiling the child; rather, I am referring to the actual fair cost of raising a child. The amount of child support paid should not be the same as the total amount needed for support of the child, but a reasonable portion of this total. It would be unfair to assume that the parent who pays child support should shoulder the expense of maintaining a large home simply because that parent has the children more often. We need to ensure that this system is equitable and does not unfairly punish one parent—typically the father—because the parental unit broke down.
Typically, the amount of child support a parent must pay is determined by guidelines that consider factors such as the parent’s income and the number of children; however, these standards may not account for a parent’s ability to pay because of factors like high medical bills or the cost of caring for other children. Because of this, some parents may be forced to pay more than they can reasonably afford.
Unfortunately, the child support system is not always adaptable to changes in a parent’s financial circumstances. For instance, if a parent experiences a significant change in financial circumstances, such as the loss of a job or a significant decrease in income, the parent may be unable to modify child support payments accordingly. This can result in a parent’s inability to make payments, which may result in wage garnishment or jail time.
Also, everyone involved should be on the same page regarding how the money is used; it must be spent solely on the child’s needs and never to support one parent’s extravagant lifestyle. It can be argued that the system is unfair because the person paying child support has no control over how the money is spent. He or she has no control over how the money is used to support the child. Frustratingly, this makes it difficult for parents to know whether or not their payments are being put to good use.
Even though the child support system is in place to protect children’s interests, it is also evident that it can be a source of stress and financial strain for the parents who are obligated to pay it. Additionally, there are situations in which the system can be manipulated to the benefit of both the parent receiving and the parent paying child support. The system must be reviewed and modified if necessary to make it more equitable for all parties.
Some potential improvements that would benefit everyone in the child support system are listed below.
- Instead of using a predetermined formula that considers variables like the parent’s income and the number of children in the household, the child support amount could be determined by looking at the parent’s actual income and expenses. This would ensure that parents are only expected to pay what they can afford, considering factors like high medical expenses or childcare costs for other children.
- If a parent’s financial situation changes, the child support system should be able to adjust accordingly. For instance, if one parent loses his or her job or has a decreased income, the other parent could modify his or her child support payments accordingly.
- The system could be modified to allow the payor of child support to have input on how the money is spent. The supporting parent may wish to have some say in the allocation of funds or be provided with regular accountings of expenditures.
- Reviewing the child support system regularly will help ensure it is serving everyone’s needs and is up to date with the most recent findings in the field. Any problems or areas of concern should be modified.
- Better coordination and cooperation between the two sides would enhance the system. The parties involved could benefit from having regular check-ins, establishing mutually agreeable goals, and working together to solve problems.
- Parental rights and responsibilities under the child support system can be better understood if parents have access to the necessary information and resources.
- To help parents work through child support issues in a more constructive and less adversarial manner, it may be helpful to offer alternative dispute resolution methods, such as mediation.
Although these modifications may result in a more equitable child support system, it is essential to note that how they are actually implemented would be subject to the laws, regulations, and available resources of each county or state. Changes to the child support system should only be attempted after extensive discussion with relevant legal experts and professionals.