If the state is going to be involved in the administration of child support payments, administrate in a fair and balanced manner:
1. Child support payments go for the benefit of the child and not for the benefit of the parent. Child support payments should be in an amount that is fair and reasonable for the needs of the child.
2. The amount of child support payment obligations should not be part of any negotiation or negotiated settlement in a divorce case. The amount of income of the parent and the amount of parenting time may be agreed upon in a settlement; but not the amount of child support payments.
3. Both parents are required to make child support payments — divorced dad and divorced mom. The amount each parent is to pay should be based on income and on parenting time and in consideration of the actual/projected actual costs/expenses for the support of the children. (There may be cases where both parents are “deadbeats” — not just one parent.)
4. Child support payments should be taken from employment income as is a withholding tax. (No check-writing between the parties.)
5. Child support payments from each parent should be directly deposited into a trust account managed by the state that is in the name of the child/children with each parent as a custodian.
6. How much money each parent is entitled to withdraw from the trust account each month should be based on a review of the needs of the children and the budget. Debit cards could be used; when the maximum amount allowed for withdrawal has been reached by a parent, no more money can be withdrawn. If the parent is in arrears in making payments to the fund, no money can be withdrawn.
7. Any parent who makes a withdrawal of money from the account must provide documentation and an accounting of the use of the money. Costs/expenses should be categorized and evaluated. (Use of the debit card would help accounting. For example, at a store, the parent could check out in two stages, paying for her/his items with a personal card and paying for items for the children with the debit card.)
8. Each parent is sent a statement of account along with the monthly invoice to pay support; each parent has the opportunity to review the use of the money. Certain shared/variable expenses of the children should be paid directly by the fund and invoiced to the parents through the fund.
9. Child support obligations should be enforced against both parents where applicable, not only one parent.
10. Any money in the account when the child reaches the age of adulthood can be returned to the parents in proportion to the contribution and/or gifted to the child and used for college education, etc.