SPC Blog: What You Need to Know

Back to start

Child Support Guidelines should recognize shared parenting. Testify to improve the lives of children in Connecticut.

Hearings on 9/17 and 9/24. See below for details.
Suggested testimony: child support guidelines should recognize shared parenting
• Tell your own story, or the story of those you know, about a noncustodial (also known as “nonresidential” or not “primary residence”) parent who was made a second class parent, a visitor with his or her own children, or was unable to maintain a home for overnights.
o Try to weave the points below into your story.
• Everyone wants to adequately support their children.
o Do not recommend any reduction in total support for children. (The reason: CT’s support amounts are at or below those in surrounding states and about average for the nation.)
o Children need active involvement of both parents.
o Parental Responsibility Plans (PRP’s), currently required in CT, emphasize active involvement by parents. Child Support Guidelines need to catch up and encourage shared parenting.
• Shared parenting should be recognized by allocating child support between the two parents appropriately.
o Both parents need to maintain adequate residences for the children.
o Two nights per week is substantial involvement requiring maintenance of a home for the children.
• Massachusetts adopted new Child Support Guidelines effective 8/01/13
o Recommend that we adopt MA Guidelines for two shared parenting situations: 1. substantially equal time or 2. substantial (2 or more nights per week) but unequal time.
How and where do you submit written testimony?
By email: david.mulligan@ct.gov
Please copy NPO on your submission: rita1st@nationalparentsorganization.org

When and where do you testify?
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
6:00-8:00 PM
Department of Social Services
New Haven District Office
50 Humphrey Street
New Haven, CT

Tuesday, September 24, 2013
6:00-8:00 PM
Department of Social Services
Norwich District Office
401 West Thames Street, Unit 102
Norwich, CT

Tuesday, October 1, 2013
6:00-8:00 PM
Department of Social Services
Waterbury District Office
249 Thomaston Avenue
Waterbury CT.

Tuesday, October 8, 2013
6:00-8:00 PM
Department of Social Services
925 Housatonic Avenue
Bridgeport, CT

Tuesday, October 15, 2013
2:00-4:00 PM
Department of Social Services
Central Office
Mezzanine 2AB
25 Sigourney Street
Hartford, CT

How much time will you have to testify, and how do you sign up?
Expect 2-3 minutes for your testimony.
Arrive about 15 minutes early in case there is a sign up.

Recent Posts

Co-parenting Tips

  How do you effectively parent children after divorce or separation? In this video professionals talk. They know about emotional, legal, and practical issues related to co-parenting, parallel parenting and parenting of all sorts. We have studied the evidence on...

read more

CT Supreme Court signals end to lengthy custody litigation

The August 14 decision in R.H. v. M.H., SC 20882, addresses the failure of the court to serve the  best interests of the children in this and many other custody cases. While the primary argument centers around judicial discretion, the Court acknowledges that the...

read more

Children Suffer In A Connecticut High Conflict Divorces

In December 2023, the Connecticut Supreme Court heard the case of R.H. v M.H., SC 20882. The parents had filed hundreds of motions in their battle, all apparently justified by the “best interests” standard. The details are dwarfed by over four years of litigation. How...

read more

Do Connecticut courts encourage shared parenting?

Cindy Cartier, a lawyer who does divorce mediation, writes “In recent weeks, my phone has been ringing off the hook with folks interested in mediation over litigating their family law issues.  Upon inquiry, many of them are hearing of court cases where the Judges are...

read more