Columnist Sandy Thompson: Child support boost may be a bust

Sandy Thompson

Friday, July 13, 2001 | 4:17 a.m.

Sandy Thompson is vice president / associate editor of the Las Vegas Sun. She may be reached at 259-4025 or e-mail at thompson@lasvegassun.com

DID THE 2001 Legislature address the issue of child support?

Well, sorta.

Will it result in more money going to kids?

Well, maybe not.

According to community activist Knight Allen, only the richest children may see an increase. The vast majority of children whose noncustodial parents earn $50,000 or less will see no increase, he says.

The original bill draft sought to raise the monthly child support cap per child from $500 to $785. Allen says the proposal was clean and clear. Although the cap had not been raised in 14 years, lawmakers did not have the appetite for such an increase.

The Senate Judiciary Committee didn't address the issue at all, and let the proposal die, Allen says. The Assembly Judiciary Committee altered the amounts from the original proposal and sent a revised Assembly Bill 37 to the full Legislature, which then approved it. The new amounts will kick in July 1, 2002. Thereafter, they will be adjusted based on the Consumer Price Index.

The new maximum monthly amounts, based on the following monthly gross incomes of noncustodial parents, are:

* $0-$4,167 -- $500

* $4,168-$6,250 -- $550

* $6,251-$8,333 -- $600

* $8,334-$10,417 -- $650

* $10,418-$12,500 -- $700

* $12,501-$14,583 -- $750

So if a noncustodial parent earns $50,000 a year, the maximum amount of support he/she may pay for one child each month is $500.

That figure, though, can be adjusted upward or downward by a Family Court judge based on certain factors: the cost of health insurance and child care; special education needs; the age of the child; the value of services contributed by either parent; public assistance paid to support the child; the amount of time the child spends with each parent; the relative income of both parents; any expenses reasonably related to the mother's pregnancy and confinement; the cost of transportation of the child to and from visitation; any other necessary expenses for the benefit of the child; and the legal responsibility of the parents for the support of others.

The Legislature added the word "legal" to the last circumstance. The thinking is that a court doesn't have to consider a person's support of an aging parent or stepchildren when figuring child support. So there is wiggle room in determining actual child support amounts. The rub in some cases will be collecting the support.

Elana Hatch, chief deputy district attorney with the district attorney's Family Support Division, says the new law won't be more difficult to enforce, but it will be more labor intensive.

She says the Family Support Division is working to make its system more user-friendly. The division has voice response units whereby people can call in and get certain information about a case such as court dates and payment histories. Call 1-800-992-0900, ext. 6845171, for a PIN number. That will allow you to get information about your case when you call 486-1646.

The goal is to cut down on the amount of calls and the time callers are on hold waiting for information about payments. Of course, not all the information about the case will be available, and you still may have to speak to a live person for other details.

It's unclear as to who or what agency will be responsible for notifying noncustodial parents of any increases based on the new law or the CPI.

Although critical of the new law because he says it only helps children in high-income brackets, Allen admits it's better than no legislative action at all. He laments that the law was based on the parents' perspectives rather than the kids'.

To be fair, the Legislature made great strides in some children's issues. But lawmakers alone aren't responsible for making children a priority.

That's something we all must do. Let's start with parents who care enough to provide their children with the necessary emotional and financial support.