The article published in the Chicago Tribune titled “Child support imperiled: More jobless parents seek break from courts†published on May 26th, reminds us yet again the struggles divorced fathers are facing as the economic strain gets worse. What hasn’t changed since our escalating situation is the unsettling view that divorced fathers that are “dead-broke†get labeled “deadbeat.†Only now, those numbers have increased.
Fathers who have in the past paid child support promptly are now faced with a chilling question: “Do I pay child support, or do I eat?†Since Illinois law requires parents to pay between 20 to 50 percent of their income, how much is left to survive after a $650 unemployment check?
It’s no surprise that “deadbeat dads†have been the headliner of multiple stories across the country for decades. We’re often reminded by the media’s highlights of the few fathers who don’t pay versus the many who struggle to support their children. These stereotypes shouldn’t be highlighted or ignored, they should be eliminated.
The facts show that fathers in financial peril are far from “deadbeatâ€Â. In fact, the 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. As Illinois surpasses the nine percent unemployment rate, these facts cannot be ignored.
Even though dads are often the only ones targeted and criticized, according to US Census data, noncustodial mothers are actually 20 percent more likely to default on their child support obligations than noncustodial fathers. This is likely due to the fact that noncustodial mothers are less likely to be required to pay child support, and those with support obligations are often asked to pay a lower statutory percentage of their income in child support than noncustodial fathers.
While the label of “deadbeat dads†does apply to some parents who willfully dodge their responsibility of child support, it is not gender specific. 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 unemployed and underemployed workers aren’t turned into criminals because they’ve failed to pay obligations which are beyond their reach. Especially now, the system should work to help fathers support their children so they still have the means to support themselves. We must eliminate the need of focusing on “deadbeat†and help “dead-broke†fathers in caring for what they love most – their children.
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.
