I first heard of the documentary film “Support? System Down” earlier today (although it has been out for more than a year). The site provides a number of trailers for the film which will be playing in New York this weekend. Clearly, the film comes at the issue from a certain perspective. There aren’t many family law documentaries so it seems to me that it’s worth paying attention.

Here is part of the synopsis of the film from their website – “SUPPORT? is a film that covers the everyday issues of stress, family, struggle, and suffering that families experience when put through the detrimental, winding maneuvers of the Family Court systems, which are flooded with more cases than the labor force can handle or chooses NOT to handle.

Finally, a shocking documentary that exposes the truth! Hear what experts say about how some have figured out how to make money by emphasizing on divorce and child support issues between men and women through court orders. Parents are made to pay exorbitant amounts of money in exchange for their CREDIT, HOMES, BANK ACCOUNTS, and even their FREEDOM!”

Filling out FAFSA forms can be a nightmare, but being divorced can actually help your budding student receive more financial aid. The forms only require that the custodial parent’s income and assets be listed.

The definition of a nuclear family has changed, but now some sperm donors are fighting against paying child support because they don’t believe they should be held responsible. A lesbian couple in the U.K. wanted to start a family, but going through a registered IVC clinic was too involved so they asked their friend to be the sperm donor. The lesbian couple has since split up and now one of the partners is going after the sperm donor for child support.

Should the sperm donor be held financially responsible?

In a recent article on TIME.com, journalist Coco Masters explores the results the Iraq war is having on soldiers and their family life. According to recent studies, the rate of neglect and abuse among children of service men and women sent on combat mission has risen by 42%.

What measures do you think could be taken to help the spouses and their family who remain at home?

If a divorced husband gets a paternity test that shows the children aren’t his, should he have to pay child support? A Colorado bill passed Monday will now make it harder for the state to require men to pay up who’ve proven the children aren’t theirs. This might be good for mistaken fathers, but what about the children left behind?

With Thanksgiving around the corner I had to post a little more info about laws on license restrictions for failure to pay child support. I don’t personally hunt, but I heard the Friday after Thanksgiving is a big day for those on a quest for game.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, every state has some version of a law that revokes licenses of parents who fail to pay child support. And it’s not just your hunting license, your drivers and professional licenses can be revoked by a judge too, if you fail to pay up.

Here are two N.C. statutes concerning this:
G.S. 50-13.12
G.S. 110-142.2

If you are a deadbeat parent in Michigan you could wind up losing your drivers license AND your dear hunting privileges. Would this be an incentive to pay up? North Carolina also has similar penalties for deadbeat parents.

Why do men suspect they are not the father? Studies show most of the time they are. Only about 2% of men who test their paternity are actually not the biological father. With current divorce rates, paternity tests are ever increasing.

A woman is suing a sperm donor saying he must pay child support and provide a college fund for the daughter he created, simply by donating his sperm. But the mother is the sperm donor’s ex-girlfriend. Should there be a law that one can only be strictly a sperm donor to a woman if and only if the donor has never had a relationship with that woman?

Several states are passing laws that would give automatic joint custody to divorced couples, assuming they are fit.  I first thought that Wisconsin was different, but now South Dakota is trying to pass a similar legislation. Will this complicate child custody arrangements or strengthen relationships with parents and their kids?

Comments? Send an email.
Kramer Vs. is supported by Rosen Law Firm as a service to the media and others interested on the latest news on divorce and family issues.

Rep. Leslie Mortimer, R-Horton of Michigan has introduced a bill that would help child support efforts. If the bill passes,  The Child Custody Act of 1970 would be amended creating a presumption that when two parents divorce they automatically get joint custody of the child.

A new legislation recently passed in Italy making joint custody the norm when parents split. This new law helps to strengthen custody rights of divorced fathers.  Some say this law establishes the principle of co-parenting, forcing each parent to be responsible for the child.

Comments? Send an email.
Kramer Vs. is supported by Rosen Law Firm as a service to the media and others interested on the latest news on divorce and family issues.

Here’s an interesting story that recently ran on ABC news. How can we better track deadbeat parents so families don’t fall into financial peril?

Comments? Send an email.
Kramer Vs. is supported by Rosen Law Firm as a service to the media and others interested on the latest news on divorce and family issues.

Here’s an interesting commentary in The Washington Times about the new bankruptcy law and how it will benefit children of deadbeat parents.

Comments? Send an email.
Kramer Vs. is supported by Rosen Law Firm as a service to the media and others interested on the latest news on divorce and family issues.

If a presumed father paying child support discovers he is not the biological father of his children, does he still have to make the payments? Many courts are requiring them to pay saying it’s in the best interest of the child.

The New York Times ran an article over the weekend revealing some interesting statistics on the increasing popularity of paternity tests.  A DNA testing company in Houston said about 30% of paternity tests show that the presumed father is not actually the biological father.

Comments? Send an email.
Kramer Vs. is supported by Rosen Law Firm as a service to the media and others interested in news on divorce and family issues.