There is an increasingly un-fair stipulation in the laws regarding child support. Up to 60% of the income (varies by state) can be garnished causing poverty levels to rise due to the lack of basic needs are not taken into consideration but simply an across the board percentage. 

We need to change the support guidelines to include cost of living expenses that are paid or not paid by each party including but not limited to car notes, rental expenses, utilities, etc. This is ridiculous and our country is further pushing us into poverty by not having standard guiro to include the cost of living.  

These are very situational from case to case, and the guidelines we have are extremely out dated. Current living expenses and other aspects of quality of life are NOT taken into consideration. The parent receiving support (Parent A) may not be paying rent or a car note, leaving more of their income available for disposal. The court system does not care if parent B is left with not enough money as long as the support obligation is met, support obligations still take precedence over your basic needs for survival.

Ex:

Parent A makes $11.50 an hour and does not pay rental expense, no car note, no child care and is on public assistance. There are qualifying jobs in their location paying upwards of $16 hourly. Parent A decides they would rather to continue to receive public assistance and earn less wages because they would like to receive child support.

Parent B makes $17.00 an hour and is ordered to pay $800 a month leaving $1900 a month left for living expenses, child care for other children, food. This is before taxes. The cost of rent in most states has drastically rise, causing most places median rental homes to be going for about $1500 monthly. This would leave parent B with $400 to pay for transportation to and from work, food, other monthly expenses. This causes parent B to also have to apply for public assistance. 

There is no possible way anyone can live off of $1900 a month and have shelter, food, water and all the basic human needs without needing some sort of extra assistance especially during a time of rapidly increasing rental prices. 

Please take into consideration the amount of fathers that have been denied parenting time and are paying outrageous amounts of support barely making ends meet. 

As a mother to 3 beautiful girls and the participant of 2 child custody cases, child support is non existent in my agreements as it does not make sense for 1 parent to be living in poverty. 

Better opportunities are needed for a better quality of life as no amount of child support can change that.