Immaculate Conceptions vs. Deadbeat Dads
Extremes are never good. So to be fair, I shall comment on both the female and male extremes of bad parenting.Immaculate Conceptions - I have had a few clients, and more than a few opposing counsels, with whom I have had to remind that the child was the product of TWO parents. For some reason, many women seem to forget there was a man involved (or at least 'that' man). I understand how someone who gave life to a child would feel the most amazing connection to her child, and it is a feeling a man will never have. But at the same time, studies abound that prove undeniably two parents are better than one. I would say great parenting is sometimes having to grit your teeth, and see some a#$hole who was a horrible husband every week when he comes to get the kids.Deadbeat Dads - Pretty simple here right? Dads who donated sperm and thats about it. Despite an incredible assortment of laws and efforts to go after such men, certain fathers are willing to move to different states, skip around different jobs, and commit fraud simply to avoid paying support. I can understand some of the reasoning. Many states (including Illinois) uses inflexible percentage systems that often lead a man to pay much more than a child could possibly need. For example, a man making $100,000 a year net knows there is no way a 3 month old needs $20,000 a year for support. Guess who gets to go shopping on the first of every month! But despite the flaws in the system, children need to be supported. Also, most dads avoiding support do not earn that much, and statistically, neither does the mother in these situations. Here again, a good dad will oftentimes need to grit his teeth every time he sees his paystub, and countdown until the big 1-8.
