In 1975 Child support enforcement was put into place, don't you think this law may be outdated? Currently many couples seek divorce and fight over who is the custodial parent. A good amount of the time the mother is automatically granted this in Texas. Do you think it is right and fair that because a couple decides to end their marriage that one is forced to be the every other weekend parent and maybe a dinner date during the week? There are even circumstances where parents share 50/50 visitations and the non-custodial is still paying a ridiculous amount of Child Support. This petition is calling for Texas leaders to bring equality to both parents!  The pain of divorce is one thing, but it's even worse when one parent is granted more time with the children and the other is forced into a horrible schedule with limited time to see their children. Help me fight for equal rights and fairness so both parents can live their lives, see their children equally and stop Child Support abuse!

Standard rights should include granted that both parents are in a sane state of mind and does not pose a threat to the children:

1. 50/50 visitations equal time for parents. A large amount of cases, the custodial parent does not agree to split custody due to the fact that by doing so, they are not entitled to all or any of the child support.

2. Fair Child Support! Each parent has to live, if both decide to end the marriage supporting one another is over. Both parents should work just as hard as the other to support the child.  For example what if both parents make close to equal amount why should one parent have to give up x amount when both can equally support the child?  Often times the custodial parent makes more than the non-custodial parent, yet 100% of the financial burden is on the non-custodial.

3. The rest of the United States should follow suite with California.  In California, both parents income, time spent with the child by the non-custodial parent, amounts paid by both parents for health insurance are all considered when determining how much is paid for Child Support.

4. If a non-custodial parent does not pay child support, the U.S. Treasury will garnish their paychecks, take their tax-returns and the State of Texas will revoke their driver license and sometimes place the non-custodial parent in jail.  However, if the non-custodial parent over pays due to clerical errors on his jobs part or if there was an error when submitting the final court order, the non-custodial parent is not refunded that over payment.  Like my local child support office says in that instance, “Oh well, we cannot refund you”.

Times have changed and the custodial parent nowadays is not a stay at home mother and has a good paying job.  I believe if the system was fair then we would see dramatic changes in divorce rates and ripped apart families. If parents knew they couldn't use the kids as leverage if they won custody I think couples would try harder to make their marriage work. Children should never be used as leverage on the other parent. It is not normal no matter if it is divorce or 2 people having a baby together to exile one parent.  Unfortunately, sometimes relationships end and the best alternative for the sake of not only the children but both parents is to part ways and co-parent.  A non-custodial parent should not struggle financially due to the outdated laws in Texas governing Child Support. I call on the leaders of Texas and fellow non-custodial, child support paying parents to stand for what is right and make a change!