Child Support - Child Support Industry

Child Support Industry

Currently the $500 billion child support industry, a small subset of the divorce industry, is being criticized by some groups for its apparent prioritization towards the needs of:

• State governments (which may collect $2 from the Federal Treasury for every $1 collected from non custodial parent). This claim is disputable. The reference does not support the claim.
• Perpetuated media stereotypes (violent male roles, victimized, incompetent female roles, and the image that children require support from two parents at all times).
• The various agencies and legal workers whose operation depends on the existence of child support conflicts.
• The parent who would be more favored in a ruling to receive payments (such as when a father's small contribution would be pointless to a wealthy mother).

These reasons are generally referred to when discussing the side-effects of child support conflicts such as:

• The lost opportunity to put the money towards something mutually beneficial to both parents and the child simultaneously.
• The non-custodial parent becoming equivalent to "a criminal without due process rights" (Involuntary Servitude).
• The non-custodial parent viewing the custodial parent as someone who uses the law for financial gain ('using' the child's existence as an income stream).
• The custodial parent receives child support payments tax free - the non-custodial parent must use after-tax money to make payments. This favors the custodial parent, and causes a push by the custodial parent to maximize any child support payments received.
• There is no mechanism for the non-custodial parent to ensure that any money paid for child support is actually spent on the child.