Why is child support paid as a percentage and not a set amount?

[SL1200]

Just pay your child support shut up and stop complaining. I have to pay it, everyone else who has kids and is divorced or what not pays it. What makes you so special. Why would you want to deny your child their needs. Child support is a bargain.

[pateuvasiliu]

Where are those handed out? A grandma who lives near you, isn't working, is still in great health, and is preferably still alive?

Let's stop comparing a job that takes years of education to perform to housekeeping.

[Klingers]

Let's stop comparing a job that takes years of education to perform to housekeeping.

I dunno... A fine arts degree or a philosophy major, same diff.

[Deleted]

Just pay your child support shut up and stop complaining. I have to pay it, everyone else who has kids and is divorced or what not pays it. What makes you so special. Why would you want to deny your child their needs. Child support is a bargain.

Yeah that's what he asked for. He wants to be the only one who doesn't have to pay it. Read the thread.

[pateuvasiliu]

I dunno... A fine arts degree or a philosophy major, same diff.

Neither of which will feed a family.

[sarecho]

Just pay your child support shut up and stop complaining. I have to pay it, everyone else who has kids and is divorced or what not pays it. What makes you so special. Why would you want to deny your child their needs. Child support is a bargain.

lol, child support > the costs you incur when a child lives with you. i have 2 kids with 2 different women, i have custody of one and only get the other one on weekends/holidays

the one i don't have custody of costs me about 28% more per year and we all have the same standard of living. i'm paying for my ex-wife's bills too, not just my child

it's child support with a touch of "poor little helpless woman" mixed in because, you know, equality is just the good stuff, not the "get off your ass and support yourself" part

[AndaliteBandit]

Let's stop comparing a job that takes years of education to perform to housekeeping.

If you look down on stay-at-home moms so much, don't marry a woman who plans on being one.

[Orlong]

Problem here is that you're looking at the "giving the woman money" aspect as opposed to "supporting your kids." Crazy thought, some parents actually like their children and want the best for them.

And you really think women spend every dime of that child support they receive on their kids and none on themselves? You must be high. I would like to see a law that all child support money spent by the woman (or in the very rare case man) have itemized receipts showing what it was spent on to ensure its spent on the kids or invested in a bank account of some type in the kid's name

[Tradewind]

And you really think women spend every dime of that child support they receive on their kids and none on themselves? You must be high. I would like to see a law that all child support money spent by the woman (or in the very rare case man) have itemized receipts showing what it was spent on to ensure its spent on the kids or invested in a bank account of some type in the kid's name

As someone who was raised by a single mother since a toddler, yes. I do think that.

Anything else I can help you with?

[Uchuchu]

Nearly everyone in the thread is equating child support with alimony. They aren't the same thing. Not even close. Child support is a percentage because it should be expected that your kids will have the same standard of living after the divorce.

[pateuvasiliu]

If you look down on stay-at-home moms so much, don't marry a woman who plans on being one.

Saying a fast food worker studies less for his job and is not comparable to a neurosurgeon isn't ''looking down'', it's ''common sense''.

[S7orm]

it's reasonable to increase the child support as the father's (if a mother loses the trial for a child, i'm assuming her wage isn't high enough to support a child) wage increases, but up to a limit (somewhere near $100k, Harvard-quality child support) and all the expenses must be justified

[Conspicuous Cultist]

My mother got divorced and by law I can collect ~14k from her from child support which was just the bare minimal amount by law for about 7 years.

Too bad it's like getting blood from a turnip and I'm not a sociopath. Imagine 14k in steam games.

I could buy two whole Warhammer boxes with that and a rulebook.

[Garnier Fructis]

Wouldn't you have the same issue with a set amount as you have with a flat tax? It fucks with the poor parents more than the rich parents, when the latter needs that money less than the former.

[sarecho]

Nearly everyone in the thread is equating child support with alimony. They aren't the same thing. Not even close. Child support is a percentage because it should be expected that your kids will have the same standard of living after the divorce.

in most states, it's a percentage of the combined income of both families (if they remarry, that factors in). so it really rewards the lazier person. if dad is paying child support and loses his job, it can drop to 0. if he gets a raise, child support goes up

[Orlong]

Wouldn't you have the same issue with a set amount as you have with a flat tax? It fucks with the poor parents more than the rich parents, when the latter needs that money less than the former.

But its not supposed to be a punishment, and rich people arent forced to contribute to child support of poor people (nor should they be) so that logic is flawed

[Garnier Fructis]

But its not supposed to be a punishment, and rich people arent forced to contribute to child support of poor people (nor should they be) so that logic is flawed

1) That it's not supposed to be a punishment is exactly what I'm saying here: a set amount is essentially a punishment for being poor because your obligation to the child is a much greater part of your paycheck than someone more well off.

2) Why does the "rich parents don't pay for child support of poor people" even have any relevance to what I posted? I'm not talking about people paying for other people's kids, I'm talking about people paying for their own kids, be they rich or poor.

So how is my logic flawed when you totally misunderstood my post on both counts?

[Deleted]

But its not supposed to be a punishment, and rich people arent forced to contribute to child support of poor people (nor should they be) so that logic is flawed

Sure they are, a single mom with no marketable skill most certainly qualifies as poor people, even if she might've gotten a high living standard by marrying right.

[pateuvasiliu]

1) That it's not supposed to be a punishment is exactly what I'm saying here: a set amount is essentially a punishment for being poor because your obligation to the child is a much greater part of your paycheck than someone more well off.

That's why it should be a choice between flat and %.

Just like how in monopoly you can pay 10% of your cash or a flat 200$.

[Endus]

But its not supposed to be a punishment, and rich people arent forced to contribute to child support of poor people (nor should they be) so that logic is flawed

Paying your child support and alimony payments are not "punishments". They're your duty and obligation.

You have an inherent responsibility to your ex-spouse and your children. That responsibility is not set at "basic sustenance", it's set at enabling them to live a lifestyle similar to that they would have had, had you stuck around.

Trying to get out of this is just trying to evade your responsibilities out of sheer, rank greed.