We the people are calling our State elected officials to support a bill to adopt a flat child support rate versus an income based rate. Our desire is to create more incentive for fathers and mothers to obtain employment and strive for advancement. 

Background
Under Tennessee current guidelines, a non custodial parent gets penalized for working multiple jobs to earn additional income while the custodial parent can then work less or not at all and be rewarded with more money.

The non custodial parent now has no incentive to work harder or excel in employment because the more money they make, the more money they pay in taxes and child support.

This can create resentment not only towards the custodial parent, but also the child resulting in strained relationships that negatively impact the child emotionally and mentally.

With a flat child support rate that is not income based, a non custodial parent would have an incentive to pay current and catch up on arrears child support. It would also incentivize the custodial parent to actually work for a living instead of relying on child support and government assistance to be self sufficient. Another impact would be a reduction in time judges and the child support DA spend litigating and calculating child support. If a $300 base rate is assigned for first child with $150 for each additional child, then the only deviation from that would be if the non custodial parent paid insurance.

Value of a Child (Personal Example)

I have 2 biological son's with 2 different mothers. The same judge ruled in both these cases in the order listed below. Why should my youngest son be worth more in child support than my oldest son?

​Oldest son

• I have full primary custody
• I pay for his insurance
• I have him ​245 days compared to his mother having him 120 days
• ​I receive $127 per month​

​Youngest son

• I have joint custody
• I pay for his insurance
• I have him 147 days compared to his mother having him 215 days
• I pay $760 current with and additional $50 for arrears for a total $810 per month

This isn't a bash against women. There are plenty of women that are excellent mothers using the system has a hand up versus a hand out. Also I believe as men we must take ownership for contributing to the birth of the child and the responsibility of raising them. I just feel that the biased court system needs to be evaluated and light shed on leveling the playing field.

Outside of my personal struggles I have been contacted by a number of fathers battling the biased court system and are losing. This flat child support rate balances the scales and would cut down judges and magistrates time of having the very convoluted and often gray areas of the child support worksheet guidelines litigated.

Check out the enclosed link to see how other states are using an income shares approach as opposed to a percentage of income approach.  http://www.ncsl.org/research/human-services/guideline-models-by-state.aspx