An article appearing at Jornal.us written by Georgia family law attorney Reynold Mason makes the point that current interpretations of child support laws often are biased against fathers.
It's not the first time fathers' rights activists and others have raised concern that divorced dads don't often get a fair shake. But he dissects a court case in which a mother granted $28,000 in monthly child support ($336,000 per year) for two children allegedly used the money for lavish shopping sprees.
The father in this Fulton County child support case (Gary v. Downs), Willie Gary, is himself a wealthy attorney who earns more than $1 million per month. He fathered twins with his lover, whom he never married, and they split up a short time later.
He made a lump sum payment of $175,000 and was ordered to make a down payment on a home for his ex (who is a nurse) and two children, in addition to the monthly payment.
He certainly has enough money to make the payments. But Reynold Mason said he believes laws providing that children and the ex-partner should be "maintained in the circumstances to which they have become accustomed" are unfair:
"One wonders how a woman who existed on a nurse's salary all of her adult life can, in so short a lapse of time, become so accustomed to her new high living circumstances, financed by her paramour, that he is obliged... to continue to pay for her lifestyle long after the relationship has soured?"
The court eventually lowered Willie Gary's child support payments to $60,000 per year (or $5,000 per month).
It's a contentious issue with no clear answers. And it must be pointed out that divorce usually impacts women more adversely than men, since they often end up caring for the children, making payments on the family home and often are unprepared for a career, according to a Guardian UK article.
Related Resources:
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Call an Atlanta Family Law Attorney (FindLaw)
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Child Support Modifications in Georgia (FindLaw's KnowledgeBase)
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