Care, concern and the welfare and well-being of children is obviously the first priority but why are father's the first to be blamed and held responsible in the whole scenario? Why are courts set-up to punish fathers' and turn them into slaves? Why are court-ordered jail sentences even a consideration? How is a father to support anyone while in jail and then after with a criminal record? Why do the courts not see this as ludicrous? How is a father to drive his kids to school without a driver's license? Never mind work to pay the insane amount of support he has to pay on an annual basis.

Now, one could easily say, the best way to avoid these pitfalls is in paying the court-ordered amount of child support without interruption. True enough. But in this economy, with rising prices without rising wages, job loss, new family expenses, health issues, etc. things happen. The system, in failing to recognize the big picture, currently operates in a way that fathers seek only oppose it or be castrated by it-not work well within it.

Unless you are the mother that is.

Mind you this is not necessarily referring to the true deadbeat dads here. The guys who go around impregnating anyone with a pulse. But even then, even those guys, should they not have rights as well? Why should a women have no responsibility in the care and protection against the impregnation of her body? In an age where an injection can protect a women against pregnancy for 5 straight years, is there really any excuse?

It is mostly just assumed that if a man is the one who is irresponsible enough to engage in intercourse without any protection, then he is responsible for the outcome. But what about the women? Where does her responsibility lie?

We are in an age of equal rights. Wonderful. 'Bout time. So if rights are to be shared equally, is it not an equal choice of what one chooses to do with the outcome of conception?For example, two people engage in intercourse, the woman wants to have the child and the man wants to have an abortion. If she wishes to have the child why should he pay? What good will it do the child to have a father, financially but not emotionally or otherwise invested in the child's life for the next 18 or more years?

Aside from one's own personal beliefs, if a women wants to have a child, and wants to take on this responsibility, this should be her choice.

So then, should there not be a law or an accepted contract (i.e. such as a pre-nup but instead, a pre-intercourse nup) that stipulates if a women wishes to become pregnant, or does, she will bear full parental, financial and emotional support to any children who are a product of their union? Why could this not be?

If women were held more responsible, maybe they would act more responsibly in protecting their body against impregnation. "If he's old enough to play, he's old enough to pay". We've all heard that one right? But in another scenario, what 15-year old (for example) has any clue what they are doing. But with the popularity of such shows as, 'Teen Mom', getting pregnant at a young age is now considered cool. Unfortunately, without mutual bodily responsibility and awareness, the puppy-love romance that fizzles out in two months turns into a financial obligation for the next 18 years.

It is my opinion that the responsibility should go back to the mother (in cases other than marriage, planned pregnancy, etc.) or at the very least fairly shared. If a women wants to engage in risky behaviour, she must deal with the outcome. If a man wants to engage in risky behaviour without a written contract in place then he must deal with the outcome.

Most women suggest that the burden is on them as they are the pregnant ones, they are the primary caregiver who gives up her life to raise the kids. Then if this is the case, why are they not responsible against protecting themselves against any future anticipated burden? Why must the father shoulder the weight of financial responsibility for something he never wanted in the first place? Shouldn't there be a system in place to protect both parties?

Family Court and Family Law is currently a heavily flawed system. And with divorce rates as they are the scale is firmly set in an unjust slant and will continue to produce angry disaffected fathers and children who suffer due to these flaws. Laws need to be revised and courts needs to address the inadequacies of a failing system. NOW.