Here's a few flaws and problems I've noticed
The system makes obligors pay for
NON-joint children as well
I came across another injustice recently as I was typing some figures into Minnesota's
Child Support Calculator (the same one that I have a link to on the right).
I didn't realize that MN takes into account the number of NON-joint children that the
obligee parent has.
The calculator gives that parent an adjustment (reduction of income) for each NON-joint
child.
But do you realize what that does to the obligor parent?
What that does is INCREASE the amount of child support that the obligor parent has to pay.
So it basically comes down to the obligor parent paying some child support for the
NON-joint children as well!
You might argue about WHY the obligor parent is paying more, but it doesn't change the
fact that they are paying more child support because of SOMEONE ELSE'S kids.
And do you also realize what a money making scam this situation can create?
Forgive the stereotype, but imagine a mother with 4 children, 2 from one father, and 2
from a second father.
If the mother, (even if at 50/50 custody with both fathers,) has a lower paying job than
either of the fathers, she would receive child support from both of the fathers.
But get this! She will receive extra support from father A for her 2 NON-joint kids with
father B AND extra support from father B for her 2 NON-joint kids with father A.
Do you see a welfare fortune here?
She could be receiving support for the equivalent of about, say, 4.5-5 kids, when there
are only 4. The obligor parents are over-supporting the obligee parents kids.
And to top it off, none of that extra income is even taxable.
Now imagine if there are even more parents involved, like say a mother with 3 children,
each from 3 different fathers. Such a parent could be receiving support for the
equivalent of about 3.5-4 kids, which is an even greater scam than the one above. The
adjustments would really add up as shown in the table below:
| |
Child A |
Child B |
Child C |
| Father A |
full support |
adjustment |
adjustment |
| Father B |
adjustment |
full support |
adjustment |
| Father C |
adjustment |
adjustment |
full support |
I can't believe that they allowed the system to be set up
like this. Doesn't anyone ever realize that they are setting the stage for welfare cases?
The calculator DOES allow the obligor parent an adjustment for non-joint
children as well, but that should be the only parent that's allowed an adjustment. To
allow the obligee parent an adjustment, (basically) forces the obligor parent to pay CS
for his/her ex's non-joint kids.
I DO believe that the parents should get an adjustment. If the whole idea behind
Child Support is to support ones children, then no one child (of the same parent) should
be any more 'special' than the rest. Child support should be divided up equally among all
of a persons children. This is what is truly in the best interest of 'all' of their kids.
Having said that, the problem I have with the CS calculator that MN uses, is that the
obligor parent may be paying CS for non-joint children. That is NOT that parents
responsibility and so it shouldn't be forced upon them. The formula should be
redevised so that it allows an adjustment, but only for whichever parent becomes the
obligor parent. This way, neither parent is paying CS for kids that aren't their own.
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