Family obligations and social policy: The case of child support

Abstract

Abstract The UK Child Support legislation has been very controversial. This article considers whether this reflects mainly problems with implementation or whether there are more fundamental problems with the principle that separated parents are always, and in all circumstances, financially liable for the support of their children. Comparisons with Australia highlight particular problems with the way the policy was put into practice in Britain. But it is here argued that changing employment and family patterns create other problems for this legislation, much more difficult to resolve. The article also places child support in the wider context of the way in which social policies define and enforce particular definitions of family obligations and explores what this might tell us about the nature of the relationship between attitudes, behaviour and policy.