It is a sore subject no matter how you look at it. No one actually wants to get a divorce, especially when there are children involved. And, no one ever wants to think that both parents are not willing to move the moon and stars to do what is in the best interest of the child. If that were true, there would probably be no need for child support, but it is not the case. Child support and the child support agency is a necessary evil, but not always for the reasons that people think.

In most of the Lifetime movies of the week and others of that sort, the man abandons the family without a backward glance, plunging them into near homelessness and stomach clenching poverty. Court battles ensue and finally she is given an amount per month that must be paid. They fight, he refuses to pay; he ends up jailed. But, there are other things that must be considered.

The story is a long and kind of convoluted one. In this case, the man is unceremoniously asked to leave the family house. A cobbled together story earns him a restraining order and a huge child support bill that he can't possibly pay. At the time this amount is determined the man is on unemployment but that has little impact on the case. Meanwhile, the woman is getting not only the child support but additional income from her father as a temporary renter in her home.

In addition to the child support though, the woman expects this man to pay other things- like bills for the house he no longer lives in and whatever she thinks their son needs for that day. She signs him up for events and activities without checking with the man and then expects him to rearrange his schedule on a moment's notice to take him to them. Never mind that this man is now working a full time job, two part time jobs and going to school to earn a degree.

The problem is not just this couple although from a psychological standpoint this pair are a veritable treasure trove of case studies. The problem is the child support system which is not uniform from county to county let alone state to state. In this case, outdated information was used to determine an amount that was not realistic. As a man, it is depressing, no doubt to this man to continue to eke out a living while his former partner is living in relative ease. As a father, it is equally sad to not spend as much time as you would like with your son and not having the money to do as many fun things as you would like when you do see him.