The headline reads: "Deadbeat Dads/Moms." The article then goes on to inform you of how they refuse to pay child support and how they live in luxury while their children go without food, clothing, and the bare necessities to live. Is this depiction accurate? If so, how often does it happen? And
Although the answers to these questions will vary depending on the situation, it does appear that the majority of so-called "deadbeats" default on their support payments for one of two reasons: they can't afford to pay them, or they have little or no contact with their children and the parental bond has eroded. Lawrence Bloom, an attorney with offices in New York and New Jersey and an advisory board member for Parental Rights, says the non-custodial parent simply can't afford it in most cases. "They have new obligations, and they're doing the best they can," says Bloom. "The court based the child support on the two jobs he was working, and now, due to a new wife or medical reasons, he can't work the second job."
Dianna Thompson, executive director of the American Coalition for Fathers & Children (ACFC), agrees. "In some cases, child support is set unrealistically high. Child support can be based on a capacity to earn on imputed income rather than on actual earnings. Non-payment of child support is not always willful, as some are inclined to believe. There will always be unforeseen circumstances affecting a family's financial stability, such as job loss, illness, injuries, or disabilities that can happen to any family whether it's intact or not."
