SDU - Child Support Information




What you Need to Know about Child Support
It is a sad truth of American society marriages crumble and families are torn apart as a result of divorce. With sides being chosen and positions held, children are assigned to a custodial parent where they primarily live. The non-custodial parent is then obligated to pay a set number determined by the courts.

The purpose of child support

Child support is designed to assist in the monetary cost of raising a child. Typically child support is paid to the custodial parent. The custodial parent then determines how and when to best spend this money. The non-custodial parent typically has little or no say as to how and when this money is spent.

Who determines child support amounts

Child support amount has long been a source of contention. Typically, however, child support is determined by the courts The court recognizes were the family intact both parents would be providing monetary support in some capacity. With the legal end of the family the obligation to continue to pay should remain intact.

Enforcing payments

Maintaining parental obligations and keeping with child support agreements is integral for the health and welfare of the family. It happens with regularity non-custodial parents discontinue their obligations and stop paying child support. Non-custodial parents are considered "dead-beat parents" and begin accruing penalties for failing to comply with court ordered child support.

In fact in response to so called "dead-beat parents" the Federal government passed the Federal Deadbeat Punishment Act in 2010. Under this Act so called deadbeat parents can have their wages garnished and other sources of income captured to satisfy unpaid child support balances. This includes state or federal tax refunds and unemployment benefits. Deadbeat parents being punished under this act can also have their passport and driver's license confiscated. Deadbeat parents also risk jail time as a result of their failure to pay child support.

For consideration

It is important to remember child support is designed to fulfill, in some capacity, the monetary obligation of the parent to the child. With rare exception this support should be undertaken and maintained at all cost. The children of broken families have endured too much already and do not need to undertake the emotional tug-of-war of failed child support obligation.