I live in the US - I'm divorced with 2 children, I don't receive Child Support because their Father chooses not to work to avoid paying it, but I manage to support my children on my own.

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“Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go.”

I'm in the States. Our county is more pro 50/50 than most counties in my state, but still leans toward the mother (gave Wingnut 50/50 even with professional evidence that she engages in alienation, filed false claims and is causing her child severe anxiety). The biggest problem here is the control Wingnut had over the timing of finalizing the divorce. It took 3 years because she didn't want to get a job and because when the divorce finalized she lost about $1400 monthly support (the rules on pre-divorce maintenance are different than post divorce). The asset split was very fair (50/50). Alimony is temporary (longer than I'd like, but at least its not forever). CS is based on the earning capacity of both parents (so even though Wingnut didn't work, she was tagged with an amount close to what she made during her last year of work).

The biggest issue in the states is the "first family first" idea that the x's first family is more important than his current family.

I will say that we were fortunate because my dh had the money to fight and the flexible work hours to continue to go to court. I think many men in this country give up and just give the bm what she wants (in terms of custody and support and asset distribution) because they can't afford a good attorney to help them navigate the system and learn that they have rights too.

"A pessimist complains about the wind, an optimist counts on the wind changing, a realist adjusts his sails"

Chicago here.

It doesn't seem like there are many other mid westerners on here. My DH was never married, but CS is calculated at 20%, and your spouse's income isn't factored in at all. My DH doesn't pay 20% for several different reasons, but that is the standard here. And Illinois is very pro-BM.

~*~When you kiss ass, your breath smells like sh*t~*~

Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction And Enforcement Act is the national governing law in this situation.

All US states and territories are signatories to the act with the exeption of Mass, VT and Puerto Rico.

It basically locks jurisdiction for a Custody/Visitation/Support case in the childs original area of jurisdiction.

And yes, there are differences between the states and between jurisdictions within each state.

Best regards,

Success is rarely final. Failure is rarely fatal. It is character, courage and consistency of effort that count. Vince Lombardi (with some minor Rags modifications) To each according to their performance, screw Karl Marx. (Rags)

Minnesota here. CS is calculated taking into account both parents income, with an adjustment for parenting time. However, this is how it goes....

Less then 10% - No adjustment for time, pay based on PICS & cost to raise amt of kids at combined income (there's a table) then they take that number and divide based on PICS (% of combined income)
10-45 - 12% adjustment, same as above with 12% adjustment
45-50 - 75% of cost to raise amt of kids at combined income (there's a table) then they take that 75% number and divide based on PICS(% of combined income)

Its more fair then it was pre 2007. But higher earner with majority parenting time can still end up paying CS to lower income earner...even if they have the kids more time.

Canada - Calgary, Alberta Canada - Although it seems to vary from province to province it's only a slight variation. My ex and I share my son 50/50 and it's based on Annual salary. So, he makes more money than me, I still make a good living, because it's 50/50 he has to pay me the difference which turns out to be $130 per mos. So...not much, but it can get expensive, for instance if my son decides to go live with his dad full time, it would be based soley on my salary, and I would therefore have to pay him $700 per mos (or a little more). They do not take into consideration that he lives in a 1MM home that is fully paid for and has no debt and makes a ton more $$ than me. The only way I would be able to get out of paying is if I took a job for under $25,000 I believe. Anyways...that's not the case, but that is how it works.

Born in CA. Moved to the Middle East when I was 4yo. Grew up there until High School. HS in CO and MO, college and grad school in AZ and TX.

SS Custody/Visitation/Support case is in OR which I have to say is populated by the biggest bunch of Lib morons I have ever encountered. Idiot parents get off lightly while responsible parents are put through the ringer, embarrassed, chastized and victimized by the idiots in the family law system. We are the responsible ones in this situation while BioDad has 4 out-of-wedlock spawn by 3 different mothers none of which he raises or pays CS on. The SpermGrandParents pay his CS on SS and raise the three younger ones in their home while their idiot son lives rent free in one of their rental properties while they finance his endless quest to impregnate every available womb in the Pac NW.

Success is rarely final. Failure is rarely fatal. It is character, courage and consistency of effort that count. Vince Lombardi (with some minor Rags modifications) To each according to their performance, screw Karl Marx. (Rags)

Dr. Laura is hilarious...but she's an old fashioned bitch ... I listen to her in the car on road trips because she makes me angry...and keeps me on my toes. Her husband probably wanted to leave her at some point, or had an affair and that is why she preaches about the importance of 'first family'...whatev.. just venting.

Mesquite, Texas here. My DH has "joint-custody". But she doesnt exercise her visitation. She doesnt have to pay medical or anything, but it was also written up that DH has final say about visitation and everything that has to do with the kids. She signed it and agreed to it so she wouldnt have to pay CS. what a dork!

American in Germany here...and divorce with kids involved is just as nasty as in the States or in Canada...I just deleted everything else I typed up because it's just so ugly (regarding the system here) that I don't want my name attached to it.

Born in France, grew up in the Caribbean, have lived for half my life now in the southeast U.S. Where I grew up, there isn't much in terms of child support enforcement so men are free to impregnate at will and run as fast in the opposite direction from financial responsibilities. Then they repeat it. It's a disturbing cycle.

Canada, quebec. The divorce laws are not bad here. Cs is calculated through table. Any other stuff has to be delt with in court and can be place in divorce decree. So as long as you smart and think of things ahead its great...but still divorce is a shitty process and if one bioparent is a pain , the other suffers regardless of laws. That's just the way it is. And unfortunately the laws still side with bm's. Most of the time , unless proven sh'e unfit. They are changin though. Law came out several years ago stating that the first family cannot cause hardship on the second. So if you prove it, cs is cut off completely. Or drastically reduced.
I had a friend who only recieved 63$ from her ex....she was tight with cash...but he wenton and had 4 kids with his second wife. My friend had 2 kids with another man, 3 divorces...lets just say she was't the greatest mother role eh And i dont blame her ex for comingin andtaking her son either fromthe first marriage!
Divorce is always ugly, the lawyers get all the cash and we all get stuck with the psychological baggage.

PA here, I like the child support enforcement. They garnish wages right away and the money gets to the child quickly, and if they can't take enough from your pay and you start running behind, they are pretty fair about setting up a payment plan for the arrears as long as you show up for your hearings. I'm not so sure about the amounts and percentages though, my DH was very lieniant on that with BM. SHe only pays 250 per month and BM and DH make about the amount of money (on paper).