Impact

The Negative Impact on Children

Number of children in the US affected by divorce.

500000

Of adult children believe equal parenting time would have been in their best interest.

0 %

Of children are subject to parental access interference.

0 %

Divorce severely damages relationships between children and parents, which is the primary support mechanism in a child’s development.
Without proper resolution, divorce weakens children’s ability to handle conflict, diminishes their social skills, increases problems with romantic relationships, reduces their participation in religion, and diminishes their learning capacity.

Dozens of scientific studies have concluded that equal time with both parents is the best option for children of all ages.
The overwhelming majority of people believe in the common-sense approach to equal parenting time. Children simply do better when both parents are given equal time.

After parents separate, 1 in 4 children where shared parenting is not in place experience parental alienation.

Impact on Parents

Average cost of divorce.

$ 0

Georgia has the highest minimum presumptive child support award for one child in the U.S.

# 50

Average parenting time granted to one parent versus the other

100 %

Parents face an adversarial court system in which conflict is rewarded.
The average duration of a divorce proceeding is 15 months.
24% of all personal bankruptcies are due to divorce or separation.
It is estimated that $27 million was spent on attorney fees for Gwinnett County divorce cases in 2016 alone.

The Basic Child Support Obligation table assumes 0% parenting time for the non-custodial parent, requiring that parent to work more thereby negatively impacting that parent’s ability to participate in parenting time.
Georgia has no automatic low-income adjustment which disproportionately affects minority communities.

Despite agreement by children and social science that equal parenting time is best for children, Georgia ranks 4^th from the bottom in the award of equal parenting time.
The de facto when parents can’t agree on parenting time is giving on parent only every other weekend and holidays depriving children of the right to have both parents fully involved in their lives.

Impact on Society

Social security money spent on child support enforcement in last 20 years

$ 0 Bil

Ranking - Georgia’s imprisonment rate

# 50

Increase in juvenile crime

0 %

Despite spending $6 billion each year, only 2/3 of child support is ever collected.
10% of collected child support is retained by the government and never makes it to the child.
No state requires accountability on how child support is spent by parents.

50% of male inmates have children.
Child support continues to accrue for incarcerated parents creating a barrier for that parent to ever successfully reenter society.
With an annual budget of $1.1 billion, the Georgia Department of Corrections is one of the largest state expenditures.

10 percent increase in the number of children primarily living with one parent accompanies a 17 % increase in juvenile crime.
Evidence suggests that promoting equal parenting time reduces juvenile crime.

Sources: Fagan, Patrick F and Aaron Churchill. The Effects of Divorce on Children. January 11, 2012
Cherlin, A. J. (1992). Marriage, divorce, remarriage. Cambridge, Mass. u.a.: Harvard Univ.
Georgia Child Support Commission Study Committee Presentation, Addressing Subsistence Needs, February 5, 2020, by R. Mark Rogers
Press: https://www.custodyxchange.com/topics/research/dads-custody-time-2018.php
https://eaglenationonline.com/13191/news/statistics-warning-signs-reveal-harsh-reality-of-parental-alienation-syndrome/