When California parents divorce, they must execute parenting plans to provide for the temporal future needs of their children. This often includes child support. A new documentary addresses a controversial topic and stereotype that often gives dads a bad name, that is, that any father not making good on child support payments is a deadbeat dad.
The documentary attempts to raise awareness to the fact that this type of generalization is not only potentially damaging to many men’s reputations, it is also often untrue. Just because a father fails to submit his court-ordered child support payment (or payments) on time, does not necessarily mean he is trying to escape his responsibility and financial obligation to his children. Many unexpected circumstances can arise that render support payments no longer feasible for a particular parent.
There are plenty of mothers who encounter similar problems; yet, for some reason, they are less likely to be categorized as deadbeat parents than their male counterparts. Existing court orders must always be adhered to. However, there are typically options available if a parent encounters a financial crisis that makes him or her unable to meet child support payments.
An experienced California family law attorney knows the ins and outs of the civil justice system. An attorney can act on behalf of a parent in need to submit a request for modification of a child support order. This is always preferable to simply halting payments when there is an existing court order, which can land a parent in jail.
Source: popmatters.com, “‘Where’s Daddy’? Casts Light on America’s Dysfunctional Child Support System“, J.C. Macek III, Jan. 31, 2018