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Ashley Wright
Mr. Maslonka
15 December 2014
English 101-1N

Unfair laws of child support

It may not be a crime to be poor, but it can land you behind bars if you are behind on
your child-support payments. Thousands of so called deadbeat parents are jailed each year due
to unfair child support laws. Some parents are wrongly being locked away without any regard for
their ability to pay, sometimes without the benefit of legal representation. Child support, while
good in concept and theory, is a system filled with flaws. Along with the risk of being put in jail
comes the strain of a non-custodial parent. Stress because one cant support themselves and/or
their new family, unable to keep a job due to frequent court hearings, health issues caused by
stress, etc. The list goes on and on, its enough to cripple anyone. In the following essay, I will
give the sociological breakdown of the strain noncustodial parents may experience and trauma
families may experience due to child support laws not focusing on the best interest of the child.
What should be taken into account to create a flexible system that helps not only the parents, but
the children involved.

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Most child support guidelines are based on a flat percentage of one parents income. This
flaw creates a large strain on non-custodial parents who are trying to make ends meet. Child
support guidelines for the most part, account for the costs of the children within one household.
While there are some fathers who choose to act inappropriately, and not be responsible towards
their children, there are many who wish to be active and involved parents. This means that the
children have two households. This results in the non-custodial parent having to double pay for
the costs of the children. Paying the custodial parent for the expenses in her home, and then pay
again for any expenses involved with the children when they visit. Luckily, there are bills
underway to change certain laws of child support. Assembly Bill 540, sponsored by Rep. Joel
Kleefisch, would ban judges from using incomes above $150,000 to calculate child-support
payments. It also would bar judges from taking into account parents assets in determining
monthly payments and the bill would mandate a placement schedule that equalizes to the highest
degree the amount of time the child may spend with each parent (Hall, Wisconsin, DEE,J).
There are companies that provide child support enforcement services, also the same
companies that provide the guideline recommendations to the states. 8.3 % of non-custodial
parents their wages garnished because they are behind in child support and the court ordered it,
39.1 % because wage garnishments are automatic in the child support payer's state, 24.1 %
because the custodial parent requested it, and 6.3 % because the custodial parent is/was on
welfare (support statistics 1). The more money agencies collect, the more they are paid. Riches
earned on the backs of fathers who have been beaten, abused, jailed, and impoverished. State
governments do not care to correct this problem as they themselves receive federal funding for
child support. Its a shame but thats the law, at least for now.

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Critics often point to the deadbeat parent crisis in our culture and speak of how many
parents are not involved with their children. Perhaps instead of using the term deadbeat, dead
broke parent would be more accurate. After being abused by the system to little more than an
ATM machine, being given "visitation" as if they were some kind of baby sitter which often
amounts to little more than weekend parenting. Unfortunately, 33.6 % of support payers have
been denied access to their children because they were behind in child support payments (support
statistics 2).

There is also the sociological strain that a non-custodial parent may experiences such as
not being able to support a new family or even themselves alone. The law fails to acknowledge
that a non-custodial parent can have kids in second marriages that are suffering, too. They forget
people go on with their lives and have more kids (Badie, Rick). 60.1 % of child support payers
have a second family that she/he is supporting (support statistic 1), making it even harder to
make ends meet. This definitely adds strain on a non-custodial parent, leading them to turn to
other alternatives, such as, robbery or drug dealing. Research showed that all noncustodial
parents felt a sense of helplessness and those emotions may have led to criminal behavior
(Seales, Carl Anthony).

Until child support guidelines are based on the actual costs of the children, and credit is
given to non-custodial parents for any expenses they incur, the crisis our country and children
face will continue. There are many petitions online against unfair child support laws. You can
help make a difference in how non-custodial parents are treated by signing the petition on the
link below.
http://www.petition2congress.com/1788/unfair-child-support-laws/

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Works Citied

A) Seales, Carl Anthony,,II. "Noncustodial Strain and Criminality: A Phenomenological

Study of Fathers." Order No. 3475193 Capella University, 2011. Ann Arbor. ProQuest.

B) Badie, Rick. "Child Care Laws Punish 2nd Families." The Atlanta Journal - Constitution:
0. Jul 11 2004. ProQuest.

C) HALL Wisconsin, DEE,J. "BILL WOULD LIMIT HIGH EARNERS'

PAYMENTS." Wisconsin State Journal Jan 10 2014. ProQuest.

D) Support Statistics - FACE - Fathers' and Children's Equality, Inc. (Support Statistics FACE - Fathers' and Children's Equality, Inc.)

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