SPC Blog: What You Need to Know

Back to start

Connecticut’s unrealistic child support awards-out of compliance

The federal Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) has proposed that states revise unrealistically high child support guidelines. Details are at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/css

OCSE proposes to update Federal regulations in § 302.56 that address State guidelines for setting child support awards. Highlights of changes proposed by OCSE:

  • Compliance with child support orders increases dramatically if the award is in the range of 15-20% of the noncustodial parent’s income.
  • Compliance helps custodial families achieve economic stability, and this is especially important to millions of low-to-moderate income families.
  • Consistent, predictable child support payments are important to families, and extensive research shows that realistic child support orders promote consistent payments.
  • “A growing body of research finds that compliance with child support orders in some States, regardless of income level, declines when the support obligation is set above 15–20 percent of the obligor’s income, and that orders for excessive amounts result in lower, not higher, child support payments.” (Federal Register, v79, no 221, p. 68554)

Unrealistic orders produce incarceration and unmanageable arrearages. This can lead to a downward spiral in the involvement of the non-custodial parent with his or her child. Walter L Scott, the black man recently shot and killed by police got behind on child support, and as a result he lost “the best job I ever had.” Then his life spiraled out of control, causing him to tussle with police before being shot in the back as he ran away from his unmanageable arrearages. Source: The New York Times, http://nyti.ms/1yJelpe.

Connecticut is out of compliance. Connecticut’s Guidelines that require up to 55% of income for child support; typical amounts are 25% to 35% of income – with substantial medical expenses added on top. When is the legislature going to address unrealistic child support orders?

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

Shared Parenting Reduces Child Abuse And Neglect

Shared parenting reduces child abuse and neglect. Why? Abusers are identified up-front and denied shared parenting when courts are doing their job. Guardrails include protective orders, ex parte orders, child protective services, domestic violence (DV) counseling for...

read more

CT legislature must protect domestic abuse victims

When child abuse or neglect is reported, the Connecticut Department of Children and Families (DCF) investigates and evaluates it, and if necessary, they may remove the child from an abusive parent. The person reporting the abuse, whether a teacher, a neighbor, a relative or the other parent, does not have to pay for this. It is covered by the state. During divorce proceedings it is different. Protective parents must pay their own attorneys to safeguard children who are abused by the other parent. Sometimes they must also pay a guardian ad litem for the child. This is expensive. Divorcing parents should not have to ruin their finances to protect themselves or their children from child abuse.
The full article by Maureen Martowska, Genevieve DeLuca and Martin Kulldorff was published by the CT Mirror: https://ctmirror.org/2023/02/28/ct-legislature-protect-domestic-abuse-victims/

read more