One of the major issues involved in child custody cases is the child support arrears. In a number of cases, the rights of a father are given much less importance in the current judicial system. Lack of accountability regarding the payment of arrears is the main problem in many divorce cases. Any father who is attempting to challenge arrears or any mother who is trying to collect back the child's support, must submit accurate records and properly validated documents that indicate the exact support ordered and the money given.

A recent survey was conducted by the US Census Bureau about fathers who are not paying for the child support regardless of the court order. But, the survey data has an entirely different story to tell. According to the survey, 90.2 percent fathers who have joint custody of the child are paying for the support of the child. Around 79.1 percent fathers, who have been conferred with limited visitation rights, are financially supporting the child while about 44.5 percent fathers, who do not have any visitation rights at all, are still extending monetary help.

According to law in California, there are quite a number of criteria while determining the amount that a father needs to pay for child support. In cases of joint custody, the amount of time spent with the child determines the amount paid for child support. The more the time spent with a child, the less would be the amount. Apart from this, other factors include the health and medical expenses incurred on the child, educational expenses, income of both the parents, child's overall expenses, health insurance and any other qualified deductions.

If you are struggling with child support arrears you would do well to know your rights by consulting an attorney in your jurisdiction to help you learn where you stand legally and learn what your legal options are.