Why do MOST (I believe that is the case) non-custodial parents complain about...

[zaza]

...paying child support? Why is it always about the money they have to pay to support their children? Are they really so ignorant that they do not realize how much money it takes to care for a child? I have known those who pay more for a car payment (without complaint) than they do child support and they are still complaining!

Does that irritate you as it does me?
Halfway** That is the way it should be! Good for you and way to go Dad!
CK** If the dad is making over $50,000 per year then $12,000 per year to care for his child does not sound like too much to me! Sorry.
Mrs. Cleaver** They are only going to take half of your check if you are behind in payments.......WAY behind! Usually is it less than 20% of gross for one child and upto 28% for mulitiple children. Is that too much?

That money is spent on childcare, school supplies and fees, healthcare, food, rent, utilities, clothing, etc........What on earth do people mean when they say they do not know what it is spent on? Please! REALLY!
CK** Obviously you have not been to a grocery store or taken a child to the doctors in some time. $12,000 a year will not even cover rent for a year in most areas.
Tstewart** Sorry you are going through this. My ex did not pay a nickle as he was "self employed". The self employed finally caught up to him and he paid a fortune in back child support (with interest).....so much so that he was finally threatened with jail and had a both his professional and drivers licences revolked until he began paying on a regular basis. I know the courts can be frustrating at times but you really can not give up! It is adding up on him and he WILL end up paying every penny (with interest) My ex ended up paying until our youngest was nearly 27 years old. He just prolonged his own "agony"......Hang in there!

[mommyof3]

They are less involved with the child's life than the custodial parent, since the child doesn't live with them. So although they may care about the child, they do not care as much as the custodial parent. My stepdad never did complain though, and he paid a ton of money to his alcoholic ex-wife. He is one of the greatest men I know. People are just really materialistic, their kid is not a priority, seriously.

[desmeran]

I'm not divorced and (oddly, since I'm nearly 40) none of my friends with kids are, either. So I can't answer this from experience. But I'm guessing that while decent human beings wouldn't begrudge their child their money, noncustodial parents probably are somewhat ignorant on how much money it takes to care for a child, since they're not doing it themselves (would you have really guessed how expensive it is before doing it?). And if they really don't get that it's needed for the child, they may well be upset at the idea it's going to benefit their ex.

And I'd guess what some of them are probably really begrudging is the lack of time spent with their child, though they might be phrasing it in terms of the money. I'd begrudge the heck out of it if I didn't have custody over my child (though of course I'd dish out the child support).

[tstewart32008]

girl dont get me started
been there and still dealing with the DEADBEAT!

how about they dont think about the childcare and god forbid its an infant at $800 a month in daycare alone. Then formula, diapers, doctors visits for well care, dont forget the sick appointments too, medication, rent, light bill, water bill, gas bill...

while he lives at mommy and daddys because his sorry a$$ decided to quit his good job because he was ordered to pay 0 in CS THAT ONLY COVERED DAYCARE!! That was 2002 he's been thrown in jail several times for nonpayment and dont care...now im ordered to get 0 i could careless to get that but the fool wont sign over rights and will be going to jail AGAIN because ive only been receiving 5 and he is behind AGAIN~

I think they do this thinking they are going to get away with something but it only catches up to them come income tax time...if they file!

[HalfWayThere]

Well, actually my ex, does anything but complain about it. He even pays me cash in hand when he drops her off after her weekend visits

[EmilyHobhouse]

This is my bugbear too. There is a government stat that says conservatively it costs about £10 000 per year to bring up one child. That works out £800 per month (for one child) - divide it by two parents - £400 each child.
I think each parent should pay that. Very few do - it's based on percentage of income. Kids don't live of percentages of income - coats cost the same, school trips cost the same - it's not worked out according to a percentage.
I have lots of complaints - parents who are self employed and although they live the lifestyle of Riley, pay £10 per week.
Here in the UK fathers are given discounts if they have a child over one night a week - their support is reduced by 1/7th. Again, the child's expenses aren't reduced, but the child support is.
And here's a biggie!!!! If you move in with a woman with children, your childcare is reduced by 20%. Your kids by another woman get more money than your biological children.
My friend's husband also cut his hours down. He took unpaid leave and those were the payslips he handed to the child support agency. When she complained, asking to see the payslips (she knew what he had done) it was refused. Her ex - who has an extremely good job - now pays £10 per week. For two kids.
A man who had two overseas holidays last year!
The system stinks.

[MrsCleaver'sBeaver]

I'd complain too if I had to give over half my check away and not afford groceries.
Children need to be taken care of yes but so does the person paying.
What irritates me more is the people who spend it on themselves. They get their hair and nails done and blame the father as the reason they can't afford things for the child.
**If the person paying the CS cannot pay their rent and groceries YES it is too much. That person needs to survive as well