Income Shares
Encyclopedia
An Income Shares formula is used by many states to establish the child support
amount of each child rather than what it actually costs to raise a child. Income Shares tables calculating child support are not based directly on actual spending on children but rather on indirect estimates of child costs. Income Shares assumes that child costs reflect the spending necessary to restore a family's standard of living back to what it was before prior to the divorce or having a child. This technique was first developed in the 19th century to answer economic questions among different family types, but was never intended to measure the cost of rearing children.
Approximately half of all guidelines for child support in the United States
are based on the Income Shares child support model. The income shares model for child support was developed by economist Dr. Robert G. Williams
and was based on the work of Thomas Espenshade. Espenshade analyzed the 1972-1973 Consumer Expenditure Survey to determine the costs of raising children in the United States. The number of states using the income shares model is decreasing.
Child support
In family law and public policy, child support is an ongoing, periodic payment made by a parent for the financial benefit of a child following the end of a marriage or other relationship...
amount of each child rather than what it actually costs to raise a child. Income Shares tables calculating child support are not based directly on actual spending on children but rather on indirect estimates of child costs. Income Shares assumes that child costs reflect the spending necessary to restore a family's standard of living back to what it was before prior to the divorce or having a child. This technique was first developed in the 19th century to answer economic questions among different family types, but was never intended to measure the cost of rearing children.
Approximately half of all guidelines for child support in the United States
Child support in the United States
The law governing child support in the United States varies state-by-state and Native American tribe-by-tribe; each individual state and federally recognized tribe is responsible for developing its own guidelines for determining child support....
are based on the Income Shares child support model. The income shares model for child support was developed by economist Dr. Robert G. Williams
Robert G. Williams
Economist Dr. Robert G. Williams is the founder and primary owner of privately-held business Policy Studies, Inc. of Denver, CO . PSI was founded in 1984 as a consulting firm specializing in child support enforcement, and has grown to become a leading provider of services to the health and human...
and was based on the work of Thomas Espenshade. Espenshade analyzed the 1972-1973 Consumer Expenditure Survey to determine the costs of raising children in the United States. The number of states using the income shares model is decreasing.
See also
- Bradley AmendmentBradley AmendmentIn United States law, the Bradley Amendment requires state courts to prohibit retroactive reduction of child support obligations...
- California Child Support Guideline ReviewCalifornia Child Support Guideline ReviewEach US state is responsible for developing a child support enforcement program that complies with federal requirements, including a Guidelines method of calculating child support. At a minimum, 45 C.F.R...
- Child Support AgencyChild Support AgencyThe Child Support Agency is a delivery arm of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission in Great Britain and the Department for Social Development in Northern Ireland...
(UK) - Child Support Agency AustraliaChild Support Agency AustraliaThe Child Support Agency is an Australian Government organisation which was established in 1988 to administer the assessment and collection of child support under the Australian Government's Child Support Scheme.-Overview:...
- Child support in the United StatesChild support in the United StatesThe law governing child support in the United States varies state-by-state and Native American tribe-by-tribe; each individual state and federally recognized tribe is responsible for developing its own guidelines for determining child support....
- Costs of raising a child
External links
- Income Shares at GuidelineEconomics.com
- Advisory Panel on Child Support Guidelines (U.S.) Williams, Robert J. ""Development of Guidelines for Child Support Orders: Advisory Panel Recommendations and Final Report", II-68 to II-75. (1987, Washington D.C.) U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Office of Child Support Enforcement, National Center for State Courts.
- 21 Fam.L.Q. 281, 289 (Fall 1987) Williams, Robert J. "Guidelines for Setting Levels of Child Support Orders"