Under Georgia law fathers are optional and unworthy of any empathy - particularly single fathers who are punished under the law for not being married to the mother of their children or not remaining married to the mother of their children. 

The punishment comes in the form of economic hardship purposely imposed upon single fathers by the State of Georgia.  The State of Georgia's draconian family laws seek to make it extremely difficult for single fathers to survive.

Currently Title 19 of the Georgia Code reads as if it was written to devalue fathers who are not married to the mother of their children and to make it mentally, emotionally, and financially difficult to be prominent in the lives of their children as single fathers.  That has to be changed, and the Fathers’ Care Movement is diligently working to do that. 

This petition is addressing the law under 19-15-16 of the Georgia code that in part declares that the basic subsistence needs of the parents and the circumstances of the parents should be considered when determining the amount of child support to be paid.

We’ve witnessed enough child support hearings and the outcomes of such hearings to know that the courts are absolutely not considering the basis subsistence needs of fathers paying child support.  The court wants to know how much the father makes and that is about it.  The court is not concerned with how much that father’s rent or mortgage is, the court is not concerned how much that father’s car payment is, the court is not concerned whether or not that father can afford health insurance, the court is not concerned about whether or not that father will be able to afford his own apartment or home after making his child support payment.

The effect that this is having on fathers is highlighted in some of the stories of fathers that we’ve posted on our website.  We invite you to read them but specifically please read Justin’s story, Rob’s story, John’s story, and Bruce’s story.

https://peaceofjustice.org/our-stories/f/what-winning-can-look-like-a-%E2%80%9Csuccess%E2%80%9D-story​

https://peaceofjustice.org/our-stories/f/justin-needs-justice​

https://peaceofjustice.org/our-stories/f/robbery​

https://peaceofjustice.org/our-stories/f/father-crow-laws-you-arenot-the-father

Telling these stories is a key component to what our organization is working to achieve because I am confident that as we continue to tell our stories as painful as that is, humanity will listen and not allow this to continue.  Most fathers are suffering in silence, and that has to stop.

Please sign this petition as an endorsement to the letter that we will send to Georgia lawmakers addressing this problem once we've reached our goal of 200,000 signatures.