The Republic of Fore wrote:Alimony has nothing to do with paying for the child. It's money specifically for your ex.
Ah, I stand corrected. While often thrown in with child support, as I did there, you're right. They're not the same thing.
In which case the argument for it is a different one. It depends on the circumstances, I'd say. As, presumably, courts do. But you don't want to be in a situation where one partner is economically dependent on the other, and due to that is unable to, say escape an abusive relationship.
Whether something like that is the case needs to be determined on a case by case basis. I'd be hesitant to agree with a blanket ban.
But even if we're specifically talking about child support, that's not really a responsibility either. Rights can be signed away.
I don't think they necessarily can. But that's a different discussion. With child support, the key is that the kids have a right to support from their parents, if you ask me. And they didn't sign that right away, no matter what happened to the parents' relationship.