In this article, you will learn:
- How fathers can support children other than financially
- How the assignment of child support is determined
Financial support is important too, because they will accumulate three years’ worth of back child support if you don’t provide it, so that’s another reason to get in there and get it set up first (for example: with temporary orders). Having said that, there’s a lot of different ways you can support your kid. It can be simple things like just having basic interactions with them. I know it may not be the most interesting thing in the world to you when your kid finds a rock and wants to show it to you, but you’ve got to be excited, you’ve got to be involved, and you’ve got to be invested in it because while that rock may not be important to you, it is important to your kid.
When your kid goes to the doctor as they will do many times when they are young, you need to be there, you need to be talking to the doctor, and you need to be able to tell the doctor, “Hey, my kid, I’ve been spending time with him and I’ve noticed that this happens. Is that something I need to be concerned about?” You need to know your child’s doctor’s name and where they are. You need to know when they’re going to school, what their developmental milestones are, what they should be learning and when, and if they are working towards those goals. If your kid is having trouble mastering words and they have a limited vocabulary, you should wonder why, and wonder if there’s something you could do. Maybe you need to read to them at night, maybe you need to work with them and put in additional time. And if you do that stuff, you’re doing what a good dad does.
Which Parent May Be More Likely To Be Ordered To Pay Child Support?
Sorry guys, we’re usually more likely to pay child support. And that’s not because of a law that says, “If you’re a man, you have to pay child support.” No such law exists. It’s because of not thinking and not planning ahead. If you get into a relationship with someone and you’re thinking you may have to have kids with them at some point, you should ask yourself, “Can this person provide? Does this person have a job, an education, or some skills? Can they earn more than minimum wage?” I have heard people say that they’re thinking of their kid as the amount of government benefits they’re going to get. And if the government’s paying benefits, they’re going to come after you to make sure you’re paying your support.
So, if you don’t want to be in a situation that so many dads are in where the other person’s paying support, think before you start a family with someone and ask those questions. Don’t just rush into it, because it is a decision that is going to obligate you for support for 18 years or more. So, the good dad will think about it and the good dad probably won’t get together with the person who’s never kept a job in their life and is constantly getting fired, or is just living on government benefits and leeching off the system, or has no financial goals or aspirations, or something like that. But the bad dad’s just going to have a kid and think about finances later, and they won’t think about it at all until all-of-a-sudden they get an order to take money out of their paycheck. So, have a little foresight and think about the fact that kids take money to support, and that if you guys are at really different places economically, that money is probably coming from you. If that isn’t something you are comfortable with, then I cannot stress this enough: DO NOT HAVE KIDS WITH THAT PERSON. Because if you do, you’re going to have to get comfortable with that possibility of paying support for the next eighteen years.
For more information Family Law in Arizona, a free initial consultation is your next best step. Get the information and legal answers you are seeking by calling (623) 696-3429 today.
