Do you support using the 'true dollar value' of parents in Spousal/Child Support decisions?

Question

Some studies have shown the dollar value of stay at home parents nearing 6 figures. Should this be weighed as income for Spousal Support and or Child Support decisions? Why/Why Not?

(Thanks Rose for the link)

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,354638,00.html

Answer 1

Six figures?  Sure, if they perform open heart surgery at home.

When calculating stay at home parents dollar value, people seem to conveniently leave out the fact that they aren't paying any rent, insurance, car payments, buying food, supplies, or anything else.  It easily evens out.

Answer 2

What, like get them to come over and clean your house or fix your car instead of provide actual money?

If the people involved were sensible intelligent and willing to work at it it could work, I guess most of us know people who do various things at their ex-partner's home ~ fix things, or clean, or make food, in an informal way, and it suits those people.

Unfortunately, it seems by the time most people go to court to decide these things, they aren't on very amicable terms, and people who are already screaming at each other over separation etc aren't going to be really helpful in figuring out how to organise something like this.

Also, if you read the article, it says the 'moms' concerned already work an average 50-plus hour week at home, so just when are they going to be able to do chores at someone else's house by court order?

I doubt an order which said someone had to go to someone else's place *overtime* and work could be enforced.

Cheers :-)

Answer 3

No.  It's unrealistic to expect a man to pay $117,000. per year to his ex wife.  The vast majority of Americans don't make that.  I was a stay-at-home mom for 14 years, and can tell you it's not that hard.  Sure, there are stressful times, and the lack of sleep in the early years takes it's toll, but it's also a lot of fun.  People like Oprah are always going on and on about how it's the hardest job in the world, but how many moms would trade staying home with being a coal miner, or truck driver?  I'm not sure what spousal/child support is or should be based on, but that's not it.

Answer 4

No the only consideration should be ability to make ends meet. Child expenses should be divided by how much each parent gets paid and the custodial parent should get paid 1/2 of the children's expenses. As for spousal support go get a job and support yourself!!!!!

Answer 5

Every year those reports come out stating the dollar value of stay at home parenting.  It's an amusing little manipulation of numbers that helps people feel good about the choices they've made, which often include sacrificing career advancement/earning potential in exchange for doing an utterly thankless job 24/7.  

It's not a realistic interpretation of what it costs to provide the basic needs of a child, however.   That's why the USDA has a different set of figures, which are outdated before they are ever published.    

Child support should be based on regional costs of living.  The government has some method for calculating locality pay above base salary for it's employees, so there must be some data somewhere that could be used to establish child support rates.

Answer 6

What a controversial question Blah... :)

No. They get no sick leave, no paid vacations, no benefits, and no job security. They have it rough enough :) All work and no play...