To think men that don't pay child support should be arrested?

[HappyLoneParentDay]

Ok I'm not wanting a massive row. Just often thought (after yet another fruitless call to CMS and being told for the 137th time that after 3 years & yet another 'job-hopping' instance that I "have to give him a chance to pay") that despite the CMS being able to take them to Court etc, they very rarely do. Even multiple CMS supervisors have told me on a number of occasions that it's very, very rare that they actually take someone to Court.

Yet in the US, non payment of child support after 6 months, is a criminal offence. Resulting in an arrest warrant being issued.

AIBU to think there's no reason we can't do this?

FYI: He now pays child support on time every month and has done for a while. It is just something I've never been able to understand...

I agree with you. It's criminal a parent can be allowed to choose whether to support their kid or not. It should be made mandatory.

Taxes paying for another prisoner use is such a good use of public money.

I do think men should be able to relinquish their rights to parent hood in the same way a woman can put child into care or put forward for adoption and absolve herself of responsibility. Equality is a two way thing.

I think there definitely should be more consequences although equally I think there should be more consequences when either parent make contact with children difficult but that’s much more of a grey area

@MyOpinionIsValid But surely the threat of prison should be enough to make them pay the measly amount most men like my ex are even liable to pay!

@MyOpinionIsValid So you think the man can have sex and just walk away from the consequences?! Are you serious?

Also, the mother cannot put the child into care without the father's consent!!!

It appears you are here just to gain reactions to ridiculous comments.

I think they should dock it directly from their wages.

I do think men should be able to relinquish their rights to parent hood in the same way a woman can put child into care or put forward for adoption and absolve herself of responsibility. Equality is a two way thing.

Err since when can a mother put a child into care or have the child adopted against the father's wishes?

Yanbu op. I'm not in the uk, but here it's usually deducted straight off your salary. If hes a work Dodger like so many, you can sue his parents and siblings for maintenance. Isnt that wonderful.

Don't get me started on this one...my case is currently with the FIU of the CMS. It's taken them 18 months to send me one form. I can't begin to voice my frustration with this utterly inept, underfunded, unfit for purpose organisation that is allowing NRP's to financially abuse their children. Because that is what it is.

Oh yeah totally agree. A child is 50% responsibility of both parents no matter the circumstances so why should only 1 parent be contributing to their upbringing. It's an old crappy Victorian law it seems to me, more should be done, if jail was involved more men would pay I'm sure.

I think it should be a criminal offence, yes. If a parent (usually a father) doesn't pay, someone else has to - either the mother, her family, or other taxpayers (often a combination). How can that be right?

My very well paid ExH had be be 'garnished' by the CSA in the end. The CSA officers were very helpful and took a lot of the strain off me, as I couldn't cope with his verbal crap and emotional abuse any more.

I think the CMS sound useless in comparison.

I agree with you. There need to be real penalties and the relevant statutory bodies have to have the teeth to deal with the arseholes who think CS is optional. It should be dealt with similarly to tax evasion imho.

You cant force an unmarried woman to parent against her will - hence the option of adoption. Or have I missed that bit of legislation that made it illegal ?

@Pipandmum They can and do! Unfortunately, my ex gets a new job as soon as they start the deduction of earnings order. It takes HMRC 3 months to communicate their new place of work to CMS then takes CMS 60 days to get confirmation from employer and then takes a further 120 days to get the deduction of earnings order up & running. Then once it is, he/they go find another job and get a few months child support-free earnings! 🤷🏼‍♀️ It went on for years like this....

@MyOpinionIsValid What the actual fuck? If a man wishes to relinquish parenthood, I suggest he gets the snip, abstains or at the very least puts something on the end of it.

Opinion she can only put the child up for adoption if the other parent agrees.
Neither parent can legally walk away without both agreeing to have the child adopted.

Other than getting pleasure out of seeing him go to prison.

How would this benefit your child?

@BoneyBackJefferson It works very well in the US as a deterrent. Most of the time. I'd say that benefits the child GREATLY!!!!

I would totally, totally support a US style system of enforcement in the UK. Some men parents have got away w this shit for too long.

@Oswin - what 'other parent' - registered with no father, put straight up for adoption. Sometimes I think I live in a parallel universe

There should be significant consequences to parents who wriggle out of paying. I'd name and shame them at the very least.

Gosh imagine if men could create children and be allowed to absolve themselves of responsibility again and again.
It's this attitude that means there is no incentive to apply pressure to non payers because people like opinion think men should actually be able to create as many kids as they want without given a shit.

My ex pays nothing and hasnt for 7 years. Other than 4 weeks of parenting he does a year that is his contribution to her.

It should be but probably won’t be.
I personally think a good deterrent could be to take the driving license away from fathers who don’t pay.
Especially because a lot of child support dodgers are self employed to hide earnings and rely on their vehicles heavily for employment.