FATHERS WHO DONT PAY CHILD-SUPPORT - HEARING THEIR VOICES

In dealing with separating and divorced families where child support i s not being paid, clinicians, lawyers, mediators and judges are often at a loss as to how they may intervene successfully. Although popular beliefs abound regarding motivation for non-payment, we still have a p oor understanding of the ways in which fathers rationalize a position of partial or non-payment. The justifications given, both in literatur e and in clinical practice, often are not supported by other relevant data. The research undertaken in this exploratory qualitative study wa s designed to develop a phenomenological understanding of fathers' dec isions not to pay obligatory child support following separation/divorc e. It is hoped that such an understanding will aid practitioners in id entifying contributing difficulties and in developing constructive int erventions. Although a specific sub-group of noncompliant fathers are described in this report, thematic areas are identified which may be r elevant to a broad range of fathers. In terms of expressed content the se are: stated reasons for noncompliance, experiences and perceptions of the legal system, role and identity, and personal goals and politic al solutions. In addition, clinically relevant themes which emerged fr om the analysis are: compliance/co-operation, conflation of the legal system and the spouse, transformations in roles and identity, and the need to be heard/supported. Implications for professional practice are discussed.