Thanks.
“Deadbeat Dads” has been the headliner of multiple stories in multiple newspapers for decades. Cook County launched “Operation Father’s Pay”; Butler County in Ohio put faces of these so called deadbeats on pizza boxes; and the Los Angeles County District Attorney announced their “Most Wanted Delinquent Parent” list. Several other states have begun similar campaigns to collect on un-paid child support. All of these humiliating campaigns launched against these fathers would have us believe that the men targeted are insensitive deadbeats who are selfishly stiffing their children; however, research contradicts this.
The fact that many of these types of campaigns struggle to come up with alleged “deadbeats” who have an education or a middle-class job might give less zealous public officials cause to stop and pause. Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement data shows that two-thirds of those behind on child support nationwide earn poverty level wages; less than four percent of the national child support debt is owed by those earning $40,000 or more a year. According to the largest federally-funded study of divorced dads ever conducted, unemployment, not willful neglect, is the largest cause of failure to pay child support.
The “Most Wanted Deadbeat Parents” lists that are put out clearly illustrate this problem. Far from being lists of well-heeled businessmen, lawyers, and accountants, the vast majority of the men on these lists do low wage and often seasonal work, and owe large sums of money which they could never hope to pay off. Even a person with a college degree is a rare find on these lists. Nevertheless, the powers that be who create these lists say that the men on the lists are singled out for their “ability to pay”.
Virginia’s “Most Wanted” list was topped by a laborer, a carnival hired hand, and a construction worker. These men collectively somehow owed over a quarter of a million dollars in child support. A plumber topped the Texas “most wanted” list as the highest wage earner. Kentucky’s list sported only one obligor with an education, and the most common designation for occupation was “laborer.” Near the top of Arizona’s list was a maintenance man who owed $90,223 and, best of all, a roofer who owed $240,581. One wonders what the financial condition of those who weren’t “singled out” for their ability to pay is.
How did men of such humble means end up owing so much money? The arrearages are likely created in large part because the child support system is often mulishly impervious to the economic realities working people face, such as layoffs, wage cuts, unemployment, and work-related injuries. According to the Urban Institute, less than one in 20 non-custodial parents who suffers a substantial drop in income is able to get courts to reduce his or her child support payments.
Some of the fathers on Illinois’ Department of Healthcare and Family Services’
“Wanted” list got there in the following manner—the wife or girlfriend ended the relationship, left with the kids, and then went to the state to get public assistance. Illinois DHFS then went after the father for child support to repay the cost of the assistance. The father–against whom no wrongdoing has been charged—has likely been deprived of custody of his kids and may not even have any visitation rights, and might not even know where his kids are.
While paying the state, the father also has to hire an attorney and fight his way through the courts just to attempt to see his children. Even if he is awarded visitation rights, recalcitrant mothers often flout these orders with impunity. Low and moderate income fathers frequently must choose between paying for legal action to obtain contact with their children and risk jail time for not paying child support- or paying child support and losing the ability to have contact with their children. These men are hardly “walking away” from their “families and responsibilities.”
Sometimes a father in this situation has been paying the teenage children directly because the mother has been using the child support for everything but the children. Nevertheless, the father is saddled with arrearages and declared a “deadbeat.” When he presents his stack of cancelled checks, the state says, “Sorry that money you paid is a gift—you still owe us child support to reimburse the cost of the public assistance.” It is irrelevant that the money was used by the children to buy food, clothing and the necessities of life.
Even though dads are often the only ones targeted and criticized, according to US Census data, noncustodial mothers are actually 20% more likely to default on their child support obligations than noncustodial fathers. This is despite the fact that noncustodial mothers are less likely to be required to pay child support, and those with support obligations are asked to pay a lower percentage of their income in child support than noncustodial fathers.
While each of these “deadbeat” lists undoubtedly has men on them who willfully dodge their responsibility of child support, the larger problem lies not with non-custodial parents, but instead with the child support system. Arresting low-income parents or parading their names and faces in highly publicized media blitzes is neither fair nor useful. What’s needed instead is an overhaul of the system, so that blue-collar workers aren’t turned into criminals because they’ve failed to pay obligations which are beyond their reach.
Jeffery M. Leving is a nationally renowned attorney and fathers’ rights advocate. He is the author of “Fathers’ Rights” and “Divorce Wars” and the founder of dadsrights.com. Mr. Leving is also the Governor appointed Chairman of the Illinois Council on Responsible Fatherhood.
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merck said,
We should all know better than that.
There will still be all the incentive in the world for “single mothers” and women “suing for divorce”, (in order to make the father a virtual slave) to continue business as usual.
How do we stop the vicious cycle of women using their womb to extort a living from either a man they refused to stay married to, or the taxpayer, via some chump they got pregnant from, in order to get welfare?
The answer is very simple and has been there all along.
Give custody to the father, affording them all the benefits and protections currently extended mothers, then force the mother to pay exorbitant amounts of child support under the threat of incarceration. Make her pay, or throw her worthless “deadbeat butt” in prison to rot.
Think about it for just one moment.
It’s the one thing we can do that is truly in the “best interests of the children involved” and will stop this nonsense virtually overnight.
Only one problem though.
It will put the people who make their living from the divorce, single mother and child support collection industries out of business in very short order.
Think about it.
Making child support more affordable to the victims of this kidnapping and extortion racket does absolutely nothing to solve the problem.
September 24, 2008 at 10:51 am
Roger F. Gay said,
September 24, 2008 at 11:01 am
T Finnan said,
September 24, 2008 at 12:00 pm
mruffolo said,
When America’s divorce rate is one of the highest in the world, the power of school and media must be powerful for a guy to want to get married in America.
What am I missing here?
September 24, 2008 at 12:25 pm
daveinga said,
but they don’t want to see.
this is really big business,
maybe the biggest business in the u.s.
can’t even name all the groups that profit from the c.s.
industry, from the obvious mom and lawyer/judges/court ee’s all
the way down the food chain to the sheriffs and jailers and prison const., maintenance, cooks, and so forth.
one thing that gets me is the ability for the states to charge whatever they want in interest and fees. a $1,000 debt for lack of work can mean (by design) the permanent end of a parents relationship w/ his children due to tens of thousands in “other” monies/fees/interest/whatever owed. finance companies/bank officials would be arrested if they tried to charge the interest and fees states do, to help the children. using trumped up figures to villify the dad and give cause to put him in debtor’s prison really helps the children.
my dad’s a felon, what does your dad do?
and let’s not get me started on the fed. matching $$$$.
no incentive to destroy traditional families there.
September 24, 2008 at 3:56 pm
Prince Daddy » Unemployment Is The Main Reason Child Support Doesn’t Get Paid said,
September 25, 2008 at 9:00 am
Robert Stevens said,
The day is coming, a revolution will take place. The deadbroke, the deadbolted and the just plain dead tired, will stand up and put an end to this God awful racket. It will be the “terrorist” who ran it, past tense, who will be hunted down and they will end up on the dockets of justice. I can see it now , some rotten little turd will be there in front of the court of justice and be crying when he is sentenced to either a long hard prison sentence or the worst offenders are sentenced to death.
They will be kicking and screamin’ and a cryin’, saying it just ain’t fair, we where just doin’ our jobs. And when they do execute some of them, they in their warped minds will just think they are being punished for losing, not that they did anything wrong. Even facing death, the reprehensible little turds will not admit to doin’ wrong.
It will never occur to them, just how many people they hurt and that the most extreme punishment metted out to them is nowhere near severe enough.
It sounds mean, but gettin’ rid of these bastards is the only solution. They can not be reformed, they can not be made to see their mistakes and how evil what they did was, gettin’ rid of them is the only way, sadly enough.
September 27, 2008 at 8:52 am
deegallagher said,
I’ve observed numerous cases of women wearing their Nordstrom’s outfits and fighting for more child support money. How obvious is this?
They feel they are owed financial support for the rest of lives for allowing you the pleasure of their company. There is a name for this! It is sad but you wouldn’t marry someone you don’t initially trust. So, how do you protect yourself from becoming a victim? Pay attention to your finances, surroundings, your wive’s volunteer organizations, friends and her attitude. Be very aware of and recognize the signs. The loving, seductive woman you are sleeping with tonight may very well be the blackwidow you meet in court tomorrow. Don’t underestimate the amount of planning and deceit she did prior to filing those papers. You probably won’t recognize this woman.
These women are setting prideful women’s rights back 50 years and are an insult to women in general. Those that take responsibility for their share of the marital debt and support of themselves and the children. These women also know what a mop, broom, washing machine and dryer are used for. But you won’t hear of them on this site. They don’t need the FL system. Please don’t stay a victim and hold all women responsible for the sins of your greedy, miserable exwives. There are decent, self-supportive women out there. Choose carefully and be cautious!
September 27, 2008 at 12:48 pm
merck said,
__________________________________________________
That’s good advice.
In other words “buyers beware”.
Is that where we should leave it? Is that where we should leave it as a society when there’s a divorce and single-mother industry bilking the taxpayer out of trillions of dollars? Is that where we should leave it when millions of fathers and children are having their lives destroyed for profit?
How would you feel about entering a contract in “good faith” with a mortgage lender, which stipulated that as long as you kept up your end of the bargain, the contract was for “life”, and then have the lender back out of the deal for no “good reason” … then have the courts actively facilitate this lender in destroying your life by taking your children for ransom, putting you on the street, financially ruining the rest of your life, all in violation of virtually every article in the Bill of Rights, all through “no fault” of your own?
Would “buyers beware” do it for you?
Thanks for trying to understand the injustice, especially when that’s more than most will do, including our courts and government.
However, this is a national disaster unprecedented in American history, and the victims of this crisis need more than our comforting words.
Think about it.
September 28, 2008 at 9:06 am
anti armchair generals said,
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/education/29848409.html
September 28, 2008 at 1:59 pm
deegallagher said,
I am currently just so disgusted with the system that I am struggling to be positive and support my son thru his dealings with a blackwidow. I fear the result if he loses all hope of salvaging his life and relationships with his children. He is struggling to make support payments and keep a roof over his head in fear that they will reduce his visitation.
She destroyed his certificates and sold his tools. Her cousin swore under oath that he would employ him immediately even with an injured arm, but he turned him down. She’s filed contempt charges and the judge tells him he needs attorney. If he could pay an attorney he could pay the full support amount, the Moron. How stupid is this? Now her mother has put a slanderous “Dead Beat Dad” letter in their small community paper and signed her name. She doesn’t even live there. Freedom of speech isn’t prohibited.
Fathers4justice ask that we tell 2 people of the injustice in our failed family law courts. This may work eventually, if we survive the now.
It is devistating and depressing when you consider that the family lawyers are there only to line their pockets. They don’t care if you win or lose. They will get paid till they deplete your funds. Then your dropped. They are the bottom feeders of all attorneys. These lawyers become our judges and the judges become our politicians. This isn’t leaving me much hope right now and I feel helpless.
You see, she filed for divorce 1 month after his injury when the constant income ceased. He wasn’t served till 6 weeks later and her family has deep pockets when it comes to paying her attorneys.
Sorry, today was a doom and gloom day for me!
September 28, 2008 at 2:12 pm
deegallagher said,
Abuse websites and information available on the internet ise directed at women. They provide a blue print for how to use the system and what to say in court for the enormouse number of women who abuse men (our sons).
In court, these women have all the right statements rehearsed off the the outline. There is the characteristics of the abused victim, different types of abuse, cycle of abuse, and then there is the blueprint for describing parental alienation. They have a script, a journal (to refresh their memory) and occassionally tears.
These women don’t care about the emotional impact on their children. They request supervised visitation to negotiate for minimum custody. Less custody insures more support and is used like blackmail.
Why doesn’t this crummy family law system stop the charade of justice. They might as well gather all these poor, financally and emotionally beaten-down fathers into the pits and force them to work day & night on oil, salt, or rock. Feed them bread & water or nothing till they drop and give split their wages between the black widows they married. When they drop put them in jail for lack of earnings. Sound like a familiar historical scene. No rights, no justice, and certainly no help.
These men are struggling to keep a small roof over their head, find work, spend time with their children that the court allows and pay the support. These women don’t miss a trip to the salon, drive new cars, take monthly trips leaving the kids with their mother and whining that the court didn’t give them enough.
How do we overcome the emotional drain and stop this from happening? In this day and age it is incredible that we allow these family courts to continue operating this way.
September 28, 2008 at 3:17 pm
merck said,
I’m sure you understand that this is a widespread problem involving millions of families from coast to coast.
No one will receive justice, (nor should they accept any compromise aimed at subduing resistance) until this criminal enterprise we call the Family Court is abolished. They have overstepped their authority to the point where abolition of the court is really the only appropriate response by the people.
As far as your son being a deadbeat parent, this is my perspective …
What exactly is a *deadbeat parent*?
Is a deadbeat parent someone who stops paying so-called child support because they cannot, in good conscience, continue to pay the unwarranted court imposed financial obligation?
Is it someone who refuses to pay because they are systematically denied equal custody of their children?
Is it someone who refuses to pay what amounts to extortion in order to *visit* their children twice a month … someone who has the self-respect to reject the role as *visitor* to their children?
Is it someone whose arrears skyrocket because the amount awarded is extortionate?
Is it someone who refuses to pay because *he* is denied the equal protection of our laws when it comes to decisions about parenting … someone who was ordered to pay as a result of a blood test, or DNA test, and was denied any other option?
Is it someone who refuses to pay the extortion because *he* is a victim of paternity fraud?
Of course not … we should all know better than that.
The *deadbeat* is the parent who pays the so-called child support … which enables the courts to continue kidnapping millions of children from one of their parents … in order to extort hundreds of billions from them and the duped taxpayer.
The *deadbeat* is the parent who pays the so-called child support … knowing that the courts are violating their inalienable, constitutionally protected rights … knowing that their thoughtless actions put all Americans at risk for loss of liberty.
The *deadbeat* is the parent who values their paycheck, and their driver’s license, more than their own children, and the future of our country.
The *deadbeat* is the parent who does not have the courage to *do the right thing* for fear of incarceration.
The *deadbeat* is the parent who would rather pay the extortion than accept an equal role in raising their children.
The *deadbeat* is the parent who by paying the so-called child support insures that their children will be the next victims of this injustice.
Certainly, any *reasonable person* would agree with these facts.
September 29, 2008 at 8:11 am
anti armchair generals said,
http://www.womenscolleges.org/
September 29, 2008 at 7:44 pm
Filly said,
But as of August I have not been able to get my bf now his ex her CS. They will not revise his payment, and they are basing it on a job he had 3 years ago. So guys have any advice? I see how everyone else had such a nasty divorce and I thank God that even though it had to happen we worked our out on our own. Even shared the same lawyer, but my bf’s ex even when he has visitation she calls the cops saying he kidnapped her. And as the finalization of the divorce gets closer she gets nastier and nastier more and more money. Before anyone asks we got together about a year after they seperated not during them being together. So yeah I know that it is because he moved on and she didn’t but she left. She chose to leave, so now my bf has to sell his home she gets 1/2 the profit which at this point there wont be one because I can
not keep up his mortgage and she is trying to get 1/2 of an income tax that he never got a refund on. He proved he had to pay in but she continues. ANyone know what he can do? She has asked the court to give him 6 months basically because he is broke. when this money grubber nets over 1000 a week
October 12, 2008 at 9:02 pm
deegallagher said,
October 23, 2008 at 4:15 pm