If you’re planning to receive child support following a divorce, you’re probably curious to know what the national statistics on child support reveal. These statistics may inspire you be as proactive as you can in your child custody proceedings to ensure that you receive what’s fair in your case.
At this time, approximately 13.4 million single parents in the United States have sole custody of their children. Among these custodial parents, only 48.7 percent of them receive child support by way of an informal or legal agreement. Approximately 22.4 percent of these custodial parents needed to request government involvement to ensure the collection of their child support.
On average, custodial parents receiving child support receive under $500 per month. However, only 68.4 percent of these child support payments were made, leaving numerous parents without any financial assistance to help with raising their children.
Sometimes, parents receive partial payments. In 2013, for example, only 45.6 percent of parents awarded child support received the full amount owed. Meanwhile, 28.5 percent received partial payments, and 25.9 percent received nothing.
Current statistics also reveal that courts favor custodial mothers over custodial fathers when awarding child support. In 2013, for example, 52.3 percent of custodial mothers received a child support award while only 31.4 percent of custodial fathers received a child support award.
If you’re trying to raise your children without financial assistance, don’t let the above statistics discourage you. Rather, let them encourage you to seek legal guidance to safeguard your rights. Indeed, Tennessee family law will support most single custodial parents to seek child support from other parent of their children.
Source: The Spruce, “U.S. Child Support Statistics,” Jennifer Wolf, accessed March 30, 2017
