Arizona is slated to increase child support levels dramatically – to levels far exceeding some of the worst states in the country. The details are laid out in a series of posts at Glenn Sacks’ website and covered well by Robert Franklin, Esq.
It appears that the new guidelines up for consideration in the Arizona legislature are expected to result in very significant increases in child support obligations for those with child support orders. It would also appear that the new methodology behind the potential changes in child support calculations are disconcerting even beyond our already suspect “income shares” methodology currently in place for most states.
Making matters worse, it seems that this issue has been so poorly publicized that very few people are really aware of what is potentially about to take place. From the articles:
There have been only two poorly publicized public hearings on the guidelines in the four years they’ve been under consideration. Although the state was poised to implement them, word leaked out, a challenge was made and a four-month grace period allowed in which to raise challenges to the new rules. That period will end this October [2010].
Please educate yourselves by reading the following articles:
Arizona Poised to Radically Increase Child Support Payments
AZ’s New Child Support Guidelines Come from Deeply Flawed Analysis
Ellman Part II: Promoting Divorce
Please spread the word to fellow Arizonans – friends, family, neighbors. Be sure to contact your Arizona state legislators and strongly, but respectfully, voice your opposition to such a change and request that they oppose it, too. Additionally, you can lodge your own complaints and opposition at the following link:
Arizona Judicial Branch, CSGRC Comment Form
In our current disastrous economy, parents are suffering from job cutbacks and job losses not seen since The Great Depression. It’s difficult enough for parents to get downward modifications of child support orders when that happens. A change such as this not only is a disservice to current child support obligors, it will ultimately hurt the very people it purports to want to “help” – the children.
Go to the child support accountability act 2011. It’s a face book site. I understand something is being done in new York.
Do you have any links regarding this act? Web searching turns up nothing official for a “child support accountability act” in New York. Is this a grassroots petition or something? Thanks.
What about Georgia, ga sucks when it comes to any of this issuse. My husband was divorced not even 5 months when his ex increased cs from 5oo and something to about 800 a month (within 5 month?) you tell me thats not messed up. HHHHHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeLLLLLLLPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP us!!
And the ex has nothing to show for where the money goes cause the child aint wearing no new clothes or shoes as a matter of fact
This sucks because I lost a lot of money getting Primary Physical Custody! My ex even has CPS, Police reports and Affidavits from her first marriage showed she is loony toony! I filed petition and was ignored my ex field petition and it went straight to hearing and mother got 50/50 visitation! Now she can collect support even if I am the physical custodian and paying for everything for my daughter! This is one way to encourage bums to stay as bums but now it involved children being neglected! This is messed up!
This is my letter to the State Rep:
I am not sure if you know about this issue going on here in the State of AZ. There is a new child support guideline that makes the higher paid parent pay “housing allowance” to the parent with less income. It is stated that the reason for adding “housing allowance” into the child support is to bring the home condition of both parents to the same level. But this has a great flaw…. the new child support does not take into account the other factors such as property tax, mortgage and so on and only takes into factor the total income of each parent. Currently the state is waiting for Supreme Court to approve this new child support guideline… I would say this is basically communism…
Here is the link to the AZ Courts webpage with the new child support calculator and documents…
You may find that this webpage does not directly link to the main azcourts.gov home page which leads me to believe that the state is attempting to sneak this child support in without the public knowing the truth!
http://www.azcourts.gov/cscommittees/ChildSupportGuidelinesReviewCommittee.aspx
On this page the “COBS Prototype Child Support Calculator” link will take you to the new Child Support Calculator they intend to use once Supreme Court approves. They gave a presumptuous date of Jan 1st 2011.
If you look at the address of this child support review board, it has the same address as the “Commissions on Judicial Conduct” which has a history of neglecting to hold judicial officers accountable.
About me as a single father:
I am the Primary Physical Custodial Parent. My ex pays me child support of $53/month. She is late on her payments and I have never complained about it. My ex is employed full time and has an income of $3,500/month.
I was married to my ex for 1.5 years. My ex had significant concerns with her history which is why I got the physical custody. I pay for everything for our daughter. But with this new child support, I will also be required to pay my ex $280/month to my ex as living expenses. It would make more sense for the court to give me more visitations if my ex’s finance is a concern. There was a valid reason why I was given physical custody.
How this new child support impacts me:
I basically have to pay my ex so that she has a higher living standard as to equal my house. However because of my other monthly bills such as mortgage and so on (my standard will be lowered to bring hers up).
This new child support basically makes me responsible for my ex’s past life educational choices that drives her current income capability.
This will impact AZ divorced parents with children and single parents…
We need a stronger child support law for moms that don’t make much money. I’m all for laws that level set
income. I supports ‘cobs’ or anything else that makes the dead beats pay.