MN 'Child Custody' Reform Bill dilution

[jumbledone]

HF322

As originally written:

8.7 Subd. 2. Joint custody. (a) In cases of marital dissolution or unmarried parentage,
8.8 when paternity has been established, both parents enjoy a rebuttable presumption of joint
8.9 legal and joint physical custody of their children, and a rebuttable presumption the court
8.10 will award a parenting minimum of 45.1 percent for each parent.

< edited > in the Senate diluted it to 35% on advice from a battered women's advocate. Passed by Senate and House last night...

Feel like calling the governor, but not sure what good that would do.

[Schwinn Paramount]

It's sad that the DV industry dilutes bills like this. I get their concerns. However, keeping a presumption of 45% with the ability to rebut the presumption in instances of domestic violence is much more effective than unilaterally decreasing dad's time with the kids.

[defaultuser]

Somehow, I think that the role of the battered woman's advocate is not to protect women from violence, but rather promote an agenda that minimizes the importance of men in our society.

[jumbledone]

Well, you know, all us men are evil... make that EVIL.

We can't be trusted to be caring people, to have other's best interests at heart.

[Trevor]

Therefore, with no evidence whatsoever of anyone being battered, men lose 10% of parenting time immediately...and have to pay a lawyer to get it back.

[Fatheroffour]

More than 200 studies have found that women initiate at least as much violence against their male partners as vice versa.


I'm all for aggressive DV enforcement. Fair and unbiased enforcement instead of what we get from the neverending wave of Save-a-Hoes in blue.

[CCR]

The real battle was the original proposal put custody at a minimum of 45.1%, which happens to be the threshold where child support is directly on exact income. At 45% and below, support is based on a slanted formula that is unfair to the NCP.

For example, at 45% (or 35%, the result is the same), if both parents made $5000/month with 2 kids, support is $911/month.

At 45.1%, support is $0.

The law as it was proposed would have put the child support industry out of business in Minnesota.

[jumbledone]

Not quite put it out of business, but would have surely dealt it a blow.

How often is it that both parents earn equal amounts? After my divorce, I will owe somewhere between $150 and $200/month.

But I don't care about that. I care about the time the kids get to spend with me.

[Schwinn Paramount]

My favorite argument with these types of bills is it is a ploy for fathers to get out of paying child support. Ummm, hello.

1. Kid is with dad more so dad has to pay direct support for the kids

2. Mom gets less money if dad gets the kids more.

I have shared custody. (50/50), yet, I pay 80% of everything based on income shares. So, I pay for them when they are with me, and I pay the NJ $750/mo as well. So, it comes out to about 80% of the kid's financial support comes from me.