Okay, I kind of get your point

So here's what I think needs to happen to child support

Now, children born to women who aren't in a relationship with the man and who has always said he doesn't want children with her shouldn't have to pay child support at all because he's had no say in the matter. But committed relationships and marriage are different

1. Judgements need to be based on the actual amount the parties are making, not imagined values based on experience that may or may not actually matter

2. There needs to be a hard cap on the amount of child support that can be paid out every year, adjusted for inflation

Some women are out there making 6 figures off that shit if they got with a wealthy man

3. If the woman is making enough to provide for herself and the child in a modest, comfortable lifestyle, an amount worked out by economists, the men should pay nothing

4. Before the child is born, within the window where an abortion can legally happen, the father should be allowed to legally opt out of both visitation rights and child support. If the woman decides to get an abortion at that point, the man can be held responsible for some of the cost, but nothing else

That's what needs to happen to child support

And alimony and spousal support need to be 100% abolished

What do you think of that, @InsaneCaterpilla?

I agree besides number 3. If he's committed to providing for that child (had agreed to its existance) then he should be paying *something* that he is able to if he is not the primary caregiver

Okay, then have the court award a laughably small amount. Like $100 a month unless the father agrees to pay more

No. Whatever the cost of raising a child is judged to be per month, split by the amount of time looking after the child.

Then I guess we'll just agree to disagree on that. I personally don't think it's right for men to have to support people who can support themselves just fine

He's not supporting people who can support themselves, he's supporting his child.

Well we can get into visitation another time, but most men don't get much out of their visitation rights tbh

We've established he consented to their existance, so he should pay a fair and reasonable amount in regards to his take home pay for them. Obviously not meaning if he gets more he pays more, meaning that he pays what he can afford if he is on a low salery, even if it's below the amount the child is judged to cost

And since men mostly don't get much, a laughably small amount seems legally adequate

Also, I'm kind of worried about changing it to actual salaries

Like if women make nothing for many years because they're a housewife, how do we keep men from getting screwed over?

? I don't see how my scenario changes if she's a housewife.

Well, what'll happen is that the man will make his current salary and the woman will make $0

He'll be absolutely screwed over

Even if the woman has a PhD and could clearly be making more

Do we factor in housework and the like to her salary according to standard industry rates?

That seems like the best option

I don't see why, because the way I am judging it is that *every child has a set amount that economists judge they need to live a happy, healthy, life, and both parents share that cost based on how often they are with the child*

How much you make doesn't matter unless you can't afford to pay it, at which point government assistance should come in

No, I get that

But it's like a slippery slope at that point

Maybe taking care of a child means paying for rent

Or for other things that tangentially help

How far do we hold men responsible?

Only the cost that I mention should be applicable. As if no child existed, rent is your own responsibility

Okay, that makes sense. But in cases where the mother is overwhemingly unable to take care of a child, like can't pay rent at all, then the father should get custody

Like I guess a lot of those types of issues can be dealt with that way

Not providing a suitable living environment should be grounds for having the child taken away by CPS anyway

Sure. I still disagree with you about what should happen if the woman can afford to take care of both her and the child, but aside from that it's been a very good and productive discussion

Thanks for working with me to shape some policy :)

Oh, np