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When awarding child support, courts apparently assume that noncustodial fathers will only provide money for their children if forced to by the court.  Similarly, courts appear to assume that only mothers voluntarily opt to spend money on their children, not fathers.

Research contradicts these assumptions and shows that fathers—when allowed to play a meaningful role in their children’s lives—are often generous with their children.

 A study conducted by three Arizona State University researchers found that, adjusting for income and standard of living, divorced fathers with joint custody voluntarily contribute even more to their children's college education than the children's mothers do. The three researchers wrote:

"The findings were clear. When we took into account divorced mothers’ and fathers’ financial situations and their ability to pay for college expenses, we found that...mothers and fathers voluntarily contributed remarkably similar proportions of their financial resources to their children’s college education. This occurred in a state that has no statute or case law holding parents to a duty to college support...In joint custody families, fathers contributed more than mothers did..."

In other words, even though many fathers did not have equal custody rights to their children (i.e. joint physical custody), they still contributed, adjusted for income, as much to their children's college educations as the children's mothers did. When fathers did have equal custody rights, they contributed more than the mothers did.

These findings belie the popular perception that courts must force fathers to pay child support for their college-aged children, or that high-earning fathers will only be generous to their children if forced to.

To read the study, see "Divorced parents’ financial support of their children’s college expenses," Fabricius, W.V., Braver, S.L. & Deneau, K. (2003). Family Court Review, 41(2), 224-241. Also, see Glenn Sacks' column New Study Punctures Myth of the Uncaring Divorced Dad (Newsday, 6/23/03).

Families Against Confiscatory Child Support (FACCS) is the national voice for fair and reasonable child support.  FACCS believes all parents have an obligation to support their children financially.  However, in high income cases, state and federal laws often result in excessive awards that are effectively alimony in disguise and have little to do with supporting children.  Huge child support awards lead to protracted custody disputes, undermines co-parenting, and leaves children worse off financially.  To contact FACCS, email contact@faccsonline.org.