How Common Is it for Mothers to Pay Child Support in Illinois?

 Posted on May 20, 2020 in Child Support

While it might be easy to assume that fathers usually end up being the ones paying child support after divorce, the truth these days is much more complicated than that. Although prior views of fathers being the primary breadwinners and mothers being the primary caregivers in the family dynamic were true for many years, this has become less and less common in this day and age. A look at the latest information proves that the times are certainly changing—as are the trends in child support and spousal support.

Latest Developments in Child and Spousal Support Defy Stereotypes

In 1979, the Supreme Court ruled that all alimony must be viewed as gender-neutral. This opened the door to men not always having to be the ones who are financially responsible for spousal maintenance payments after divorce. Since then, the latest developments in child support and spousal support payments alike have progressed in a way that defies stereotypes. For example:

• The latest trends suggest that more and more women are paying some sort of support to men after divorce. Whether it is child support or spousal maintenance—or both—there has been an uptick in women paying money to their ex-husbands, as reported by many divorce attorneys over the last few years. This is representative of an overall shift in the economy, as not only are both men and women working full time despite being married and having kids, but in some cases, women are even becoming the primary breadwinners. In fact, Pew Research has found that mothers are the primary income earners in four out of 10 families in the United States.

• As more women pay child support or spousal maintenance, more data is coming in to suggest that men are more likely to fulfill their financial obligations after divorces than women. Within the last decade, some data suggests that while about a quarter of all men failed to make their child support payments, close to 10% more women failed to make those same payments. In other words, the common stereotype of “deadbeat dads” is not always the case.

• Despite dramatic shifts in family dynamics and the economy in recent years, the majority of child support and spousal maintenance payments are still made by men. Even though all of this new data and information suggests major changes in support payments after divorce, traces of the way things were still remain, with nearly five times as many men having to make support payments to their ex-spouses as women.

Contact a DuPage County Fathers’ Rights Lawyer

The times are changing, and so are family dynamics. Men are not the only ones responsible for spousal maintenance or child support payments. If you are a father or husband who is seeking financial support from your spouse, you have options. Call a Wheaton divorce attorney at 630-871-1002 for a free consultation to discuss your rights as a father and husband. The skilled team at Andrew Cores Family Law Group will give you the legal support and guidance you need.

Sources:

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/more-women-are-now-paying-alimony-and-child-support-2018-05-17-1882442

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/documents/075000050K505.htm

https://www.npr.org/2015/03/01/389945311/who-fails-to-pay-child-support-moms-at-a-higher-rate-than-dads