GA Passes Sweeping Child Support Changes

[POC]

Yesterday, Georgia, one of the last states with an obligor only set of child support guidelines, passed a new income shares set of guidelines. Although it was not the income shares model desired by many behind the reform, the changes made by this legislation are significant.

Not only does the new bill now include the incomes of both parents, it also gives some credit when children spend 100 days or more with their NCP. Conversely, the formula increases the child support award if the child is not able to spend at least 60 days per year with their NCP. There are still easily identifiable mathematical flaws about the formula, and extreme changes in support awards result from irrationally small differences in time spent between both homes. Even so, it is a significant step towards child support being based upon costs for children, better known as a costs shares child support guideline.

The Georgia Senate amended the original House Bill 35-9, and passed it back to the Georgia House, where it finally passed 104-41. The legisation now sits on Republican Sonny Perdue's desk for signature.

For more info see - http://www.gachildsupport.org/index.php?POSTNUKESID=a36875d9113bbe1af762ac961e711f09

[MYSONSDAD]

Congrats! I know many worked on this, very hard. Good Job!

Now if it would only go another 49 States...

"Children learn what they live"

[Skooter95]

This is WONDERFUL!!!!!  Good things come to those who wait!
Its about time!!

[NeverGiveUp]

Im not trying to rain on this, however, I think a lot of people are missing the BIG problem with this bill.  It clearly states that parents with more than 100 days will get a break, while parents with less than 60 days will pay more.  What do you think women will do now when there's a dissolution of marriage?  You guessed it, they fight you to the death to make sure you get no more than 4 days / month.  That's 48 days / year.  Plus 10 days for summer vacation.  Which by the way is the standard visitation in most states. GET the picture!!!

Until there's a bill for shared parenting, Georgia dads just got bent over. Yea, they got flowers so they didn't see it coming.

[lovebug]

You know I have thought of this. I am concerned about this issue. Are there going to be more problems with PAS in order to keep the children away from their father so as not to go over the 60 days poer year?

I see my ex PASing or flat out denying my visitation and then taking me to count and saying "He didn't maintain the more than 60 days visitation requirement for the cs credit. I want MORE money."

I guess we'll just have to wait and see. My wife is invovled in lobbying the Ga Houses on Family Law issues. She has spoken with Julie Barton (cs law lobbier) about this issue. Our thought is that we just need to take things one step at a time. There are always going to be problems with evey law.

My wife does have plans to lobby a few reps and senators into introducing a visiation enforcement type of bill during the next session.

[POC]

I'm not from Ga, but the person in Ga who I think you are referring to is not Julie Barton, but Julie Batson. I can't fully answer your questions about PAS, but the bill does presume that children spend 8o days per year with the NCP. Not that I think that is an adequate amount of time to spend with a parent, but it is more than 60 days.

The formula in HB 221 is flawed. But, it came about as a concession to get the bill passed. Originally, credits were to start at 4 days.

The CS guidelines are based upon the child spending 100% of the time at the CP home. If you want to go to court on the claim that increasing support for less than 60 days is unjust, it has merit. Mathematically, if your child spends even just 1 day per year with you, CS should be something less than what the guidelines apportion to the CP home. If you need more help let me know.