Parental Bonding and the Design of Child Support Obligations

Parental Bonding and the Design of Child Support Obligations

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Description

To what extent, in awarding child support, should courts take account of the level of the non-custodial parent’s visitation? Possible options range from taking no account of visitation in setting support obligations, to including visitation as part of the basic support calculation. If the latter option were chosen, non-custodial parents who commit to a strong and continuing interaction with their children, as measured by days of visitation, could receive a credit against their child support obligations. Non-custodial parents who were not willing to undertake to be actively present in their children’s lives could pay a surcharge over the support that would otherwise be awarded. California—long a leader in family law innovations—already requires courts to adjust child support awards based on the amount of time each parent spends with the children. This chapter analyses the pros and cons of the California approach.

Source Publication

The Law and Economics of Child Support Payments

Source Editors/Authors

William S. Comanor

Publication Date

2004

Parental Bonding and the Design of Child Support Obligations

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