The Child Support Problem in
Tennessee
Venecia
Patterson
The child
support issue is a thorny question for many people. The State of Tennessee has provided a means
by which children who live with one of their parents, but not the other to be
supported. The laws of Tennessee require
that the non custodial parent of a child support the child through the
custodial parent. To begin the child support process paternity must be proven
by either a voluntary admission of paternity, or a genetic test. Once paternity has been established the
custodial court petitions the court for a child support order based on the
income of the parents. Once that child
support order has been established the enforcement of the order becomes the
primary goal of the Tennessee Department of Human Services, who provide child
support services in Tennessee.
Child support enforcement is the
most difficult part of the child support process. The state has a number of
different avenues to collect child support.
The non custodial parent is required to pay the child support to either
the custodial parent directly, or the state of Tennessee. If the parent does
not do so he or she can risk having their paycheck garnished, federal tax
refund confiscated, their driver’s license suspended or even revoked, and can
even go to jail. A lien can even be
filed against any settlements that the non custodial parent is entitled to. Despite
all of these avenues of collection there are many non custodial parents that
are into the thousands of dollars worth of arrearages on their child support
orders.
There are a few reasons for this.
For one some of the consequences for not paying child support serve to make it
harder to earn money to pay child support.
In example, a person whose driver’s license is suspended or revoked has
a hard time maintain a job legally because one, many employers require a valid
driver’s license and two they cannot transport themselves to work legally. And a jailed person has no way to make money
to pay child support at all, not to mention they might lose their job due to their
imprisonment. The other provisions also serve to deter the non custodial
parents from working a job with a regular paycheck and filing their federal
taxes. Many people who owe large amounts of child support go into business for
themselves and do not pay taxes on their income to bypass these possibilities.
However, I do not believe that making more avenues of
collecting child support will actually be beneficial to the problem of unpaid
child support. The unpaid child support is simply a symptom of a greater problem,
the problem of irresponsibility. Most of the non custodial parents, not all,
but most of them are fathers. They refuse to take responsibility for their own
progeny. Women, even when they are the custodial parents are irresponsible in choosing
men to have children with that are immature and irresponsible. If a man already has three children on child
support that are not paid for it is not reasonable or logical for another woman
to have a child by that man and then think that he will provide for her and her
child .
I think
that until public policy changes to require that people be responsible for their
own decisions and stop making it easy to be irresponsible we will always have
issues with uncollected child support. People will never stop being
irresponsible if each new fatherless child gets them a little bit more in
welfare and public assistance. I also believe that the provisions we have of
collecting child support needs to be revised because each time another man is
trapped n the cycle of being unable to pay the child support because of a lack
of employment and being unable to find work because of the punishments of not
paying child support there is another child that the government is forced to be
responsible for.
I don't consider myself irresponsible for having children by deadbeat dads. The fathers of my children were not unreliable or irresponsible when we were together as a couple. It is often found that these fathers feel they are getting back at their ex. They don't consider the children as being the victims, the ones that suffer. I have always provided for my children. I have used the welfare system but only as it was meant to be used. A temporary assistance, long enough for me to get on my feet. I take care of my children and I go without for my children to have everything that they need. Meanwhile, I'm owed thousands of dollars in arrearages. Money that I will probably never see. Their fathers are sitting in jail. Their actions have landed them where they belong. If a parent, mother or father, doesn't care for and provide for their children, they deserve to go to jail. As much as I agree with the fact that they can't pay if their incarcerated, why on Earth should they be left out to earn money and live their lives how they see fit when they have children that are not benefitting from their labors?
ReplyDeleteLeave them where they are and put all the other deadbeats there too.
I think this subject is always going to be a touchy subject, both from the mother and the father. I have friends who are going through child support issues as well as male friends who are experiencing the same thing. It can been seen from both sides. On one hand, the mother has the children 80% of the time and the father may see them on the weekend. The monies they receive still don’t cover the totality of expenses to care for a child. On the other hand, the father does not want the money going toward any expense except that of the child. They seem to want to dictate the use of the monies. This situation, sadely, seldom has a good ending. The one who ends up being affected it the child. They may feel the tension between mom and dad. I had spoken with my brother regarding his insight as it related to Child Support Enforcement who is presently paying child support. He said, “Most people only talk about the money. I believe in financial support and I pay $ 500.00 per month. I also pay $185.00 a month for health insurance. I cover my daughter insurance and her medical bills. I carry a life insurance policy for her mother.
ReplyDelete“My daughter’s mother does not work. She is presently receiving public aid and food card. She has two others children who fathers have not paid child support. I have no legal right as a father. She has a cell phone, Cadillac car, and internet and dines out once a week. I do not receive any payment when my daughter visits on the weekends. I have to provide food as well as entertainment. I have living expensive and paying extra money that you have not budgeted places you in a financial hardship.”
My brother is not a deadbeat dad. He has taken accountable for his choices.
One would think because of the hardness of this law that most men would be unwilling to have children outside of marriage.
If both parties are acting responsible there would not be so much controversy about child support because responsible individuals should be taking precautions. Unless they are married or planning for a child. And people change, therefore a parent should not be responsible for their partners behavior.I believe that a mother and father share equal responsibilities when it comes to providing for a child. The children are unfortunately the unforgotten victim in most of these cases because parents are being selfish. I have two daughters from a previous marriage and I have always provided for my children because that is right. I support the law that if a parent does not pay child support, they should go to jail mother or father.
ReplyDeleteThe state of Tennesse contacted me to suspended a license I had in Tennessee four years ago. I have had a Georgia license for four years. They just seized all the money from my bank ($122) . This is june on March 3rd they made me pay 250 to get me current then I didnt pay for 2 months then they suspended my license. Well can they only suspend their license or can they pursuade Georgia to suspend my current license. Im recieving public assistance from Georgia and I (this is the kicker) I am the custodial parent I only owe 1800 $ and I pay 80 per month toward my bill while trying to raise the child.
ReplyDelete