Define a ‘dead-beat dad’. Is it a person who refuses to help support his children, or someone who cannot afford to? Either way, with todays laws, it is punishable. It is also ridiculous.

The law is not clear, in many cases, or perhaps improperly interpreted, on how much of a persons wages should go to their children. In the state of Indiana, however, it does state that a person should not be discouraged from working because he cannot pay support and be able to survive on his income at the same time. Yet it happens anyway…

I am for making sure fathers help support their children, but there has to be limitations in place. An atricle I read in a local paper shows how the system is being abused. There is nothing said in this article as to why he has been reprimanded. Is this person truly a dead-beat, or has our child support system made life too hard on him?

When you throw in ‘maintenance’ (the spousal support, to support the person who doesn’t want to work, or wants to get far more support than they should be entitled), and do the math, it is not right for the supporting parent to try to live off of less money that what it will cost them for rent. Yes, it happens. Some people pay so much that they do not have enough for rent, let alone food – or anything else.

So, at what point does the person that is paying support stop making payments, just so they can survive too? $450/wk – $200 /four chilren – $150 / maintenance = $400 to live on a month. That’s rent. That’s paying more in maintenance than what the person brings home. That isn’t right, but it’s a very real figure. Could you do it?