Ashdod Family Court Judge Sarit Golan today set a precedent in a divorce case by ruling that a father will bear only 70% of child support instead of the normal 100%. The court calculated the parents' income ratio and ruled this would be the ratio for income support.
The case involves a couple, both residents of Ashdod, in their forties and with three children, aged three, five, and seven, when the divorce proceedings began two years ago.
For decades, fathers, but not mothers, were required to bear child support. Today's ruling overturned that norm. The father's attorney, Adv. Gil Shahaf, said, "This was a courageous decision by the Ashdod Family Court. There are Supreme Court rulings from recent years, which mention the division of child support should be reviewed on the basis of total family income.
"Despite these rulings, Israel's courts have almost never applied them. For the first time, the Ashdod Family Court has applied the idea that the parent who earns more should bear a larger share of child support. For me, this is an amazing ruling, which does justice, puts an end to child support rulings on the basis of a definition that discriminates against men, and corrects an injustice that has lasted decades on the basis of archaic and obsolete law. It is a breakthrough that sets a precedent for change."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on December 14, 2010
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