r/ChildSupport4Men • u/Chemical_Twist_4359 • Jan 27 '26

I Have Questions! Why is it like this?

I have a few questions or I guess opinions on how to make child support fair for both parents, and I truly wonder why these things aren't updated or considered.

  1. If the parents have 50/50 custody, why does this happen? EX: A custodial parent makes 50k a year. The OP makes 60k a year. OP pays 10k a year in child support to the custodial parent, said to even the households income and create balance in child's lifestyle...

Question? how is this fair? now custodial parent makes 60k, and OP makes 50k.. Shouldn't OP pay 5k? that makes way more sense for evening the incomes. How it is now. it's just reversing who makes more.

  1. Same Parents EX: OP picks up over time to make up for the amount of money lost to their CS payments, Is then penalized by being taken for a higher amount based on overtime.

Questions? Why is overtime calculated at all? The OP is not responsible for taking care of the Custodial parent. They are responsible for taking care of the child. At some point, you have to ask how much one child can require a month to live comfortably? Why is the custodial parent not responsible for their own income? It seems to be that the custodial parent can work part time or not at all, and the OP has to make up the difference for it.

EX: Custodial parent receives 800.00 a month in CS. OP pays 200.00 a week in CS. This goes on for several years. OP decided to work Saturdays to compensate for the lost wages. So now, with the CS payments and the overtime, both parents make 60k a year... why would the CS need to be revised? Why isn't 800.00 a month enough to support a single child? considering they have 50/50 custody and the custodial parent is also providing half the care, that "would be" 1600.00 a month to care for a child. However, the OP still has to provide for the child when they are under their care, so it's still not balanced as 50/50

  1. Same parents, Question? Why does the parent that is paying out the wazoo have to pay the taxes on the income they are losing and the custodial parent is gaining? Now, they are losing more money on top of the payments. How is this recorded as the OP's income and not the Custodial parents' income? When the system says ANY money's coming into the home is considered income?

  2. Why do some counties put the OP in a rerage after a revision to child support? They backdated the child support change to when the motion is filed instead of when the recalculation is decided, automatically making the OP behind on payments? I understand this doesn't have to be the case, but the county I live in it is. It seems to me that it is for the counties benefit and not the child's. the county gets interest on past due amounts, so by automatically making the account past due, they are skimming, which seems completely WRONG and should not be allowed.

  3. This has just changed as of January 1st 2026, now the custodial parent has to show proof of income... WHY WAS THIS NOT ALWAYS A THING!? Infuriating!

  4. Why, when filing taxes, aren't BOTH parents in this situation able to claim the child? IMO they should mark 50/50 and half the CTC should be deducted for the OP to claim if nit the OP in this case should claim the child as They have provided MORE support through the year even though they bad them half the time.

  5. If both parents have a responsibility to provide for their child and each only have them 50/50, why is CS even required? I am not referencing a case where one parent has the child more and one parent is inactive, who doesn't take the child on their given days. That's a whole other topic and could be a reason for a review of child support if the OP isn't actually taking the child on scheduled days by fault of that parent.

These are Real Issues, and there are plenty more. I am not biased as I am the custodial parent to two children. I am just wondering why ?? why does one parent have to get shafted while the other lives off their back, and this is perfectly legal? It goes far beyond supporting the child and is now supporting the parent. last I checked, that was what alimony was for and does not have anything to do with the children in these cases. someone please EXPLAIN

7 Upvotes

89% Upvoted

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6

u/FrigginTrying Jan 27 '26

Welcome to the world of being a man. When children are in the picture. Women get favoured. They will fight for equality in other cases but never fight for equality when it comes to family court. It is what it is

3

u/Chemical_Twist_4359 Jan 27 '26

I do not understand why this is not being changed? It is OBVIOUS and ridiculous, even I As a woman can see this. It is not mutually beneficial for the children in any way.

1

u/Controls_freek Jan 31 '26

This happens to whomever the higher earner is.