Many Pennsylvania parents who have gone through a divorce are familiar with how child support payments work, but some might not have previously considered whether men should be eligible to receive them. While men have traditionally been known as the “breadwinners” in society, changing circumstances can sometimes place women in a more financially advantageous position than their spouses. Should men become eligible to receive child support payments from their former spouse in these circumstances?
Though the question of gender equality would seem to make the answer an obvious “yes,” there are often extenuating circumstances that must be taken into account. For example, evidence exists that the real income of men and women remain unequal in this country, which can potentially hamper a woman’s ability to provide child support in ways that might not apply to a man. Furthermore, most women are seen to devote more of their time and energy to child raising than men; if that’s the case, it may not be a simple task to attach monetary value to their child support obligation.
Nevertheless, more and more women have entered the work force in recent decades, and many women are the primary sources of financial support for their respective families. In these cases, men who are raising their children and may not benefit from as much financial opportunity as their former spouse may need additional child support just to get by.
As can be seen, the questions presented here are not easily answered. If someone is preparing to make a case to receive child support payments as a part of their divorce, it may be worthwhile to first discuss the matter with a lawyer who understands the relevant laws in their area. Securing legal counsel can help someone to amass documentation to support their position and make a more substantiated case than might be possible otherwise.
