The issue of child support has always been a sensative and contraversial one. Those who pay it often feel they pay too much or that they perceive their payment being used unethically. Those who are legally entitled to it and dont receive it rightfully feel begrudged. I have listened to many opinions from both sexes, on both sides of the fence. In addition, I have paid out child support for my own four children for over eight years. Prior to that I assisted in the raising of a step child for many years as well ( and incidentally received no financial assistance from the biological father ). With this information in mind I believe that I am able to speak with some basic authority on the subject.
Its often been said that when you have a child, your own wants and desires should take second seat. Personally I agree with this, but we’ve all seen examples where this just does not happen. In addition it can sometimes be hard to maintain this view 100% of the time. Separations and divorces have a habit of bringing out the worst in parents. In the end the all mighty dollar still surfaces as the ‘rudder by which we steer our lives’. How can it not be ? If the persuit of happiness is the righteous goal of all people in todays materialistic world, then the flow of money in and out of people’s lives is directly related to it. Both parents want some semblence of quality of life.
I beleive that the issue of forced child support payments is a good one. Having said that I do get confused at the methods and equations that are used to calculate the exact amount. Secondary employment if available should I believe be exempt. There is already the issue of the higher tax rate, and when the child support agency gets through with you, your effective earning capacity is about 20 cents in the dollar. If parents cant successfully raise a family in the same household, the opportunity should still exist to do so in separate households. Again, the availability of finances will greatly determine this. Responsibility is the keyword here I guess. Unfortunately opinions differ as to the extent it plays in ones life, on both sides of the fence.